I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint
by lorgeous
Summary: She had become an expert at putting on a face when she was around Heather. Naya just hoped it was enough for people not to realize it, because honestly Heather was wearing her down. A Heya RPF fic.
1. Chapter 1

Title: I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint

Rating: PG-13 for this chapter M for later

Summary: She had become an expert at putting on a face when she was around Heather. Naya just hoped it was enough for people not to realize it, because honestly Heather was wearing her down.

Pairings: Naya/Heather, Other: Heather/OC, Naya/Mark, Side Dianna/Lea

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women and I am not affiliated with Glee or its creators. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

Spoilers: Season 1 and Season 2

A/N: This story is originally from lj on the Naya/Heather community and from my personal lj. Due to lj posting limits I decided to move the fic over here so I had more freedom with what I could write. I hope all my readers from lj has followed their way over here and to the new readers I'm excited to hear back from everyone! I cannot wait to get writing again :) Happy reading everybody. 

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 1<p>

Naya Rivera was currently laid sprawled on her sunken couch in her trailer, wishing the world away. How things came to this, she is still unable to understand. It's only really been two years… Two years! It seems almost impossible to have developed such an arrangement of feelings for one person over that gap of time. Shouldn't it take a lifetime? Naya would understand having her heart burst over a high school crush, coming to know that person since childhood… But she was twenty-three for Christ's sake! She's not some pimple-coated, hormonal teen and she certainly has not known the particular blonde dancer since childhood. Yet, here she was, hibernating in her trailer as she swooned over her best friend. God… and it only took a couple months before she could easily call her that. Her best friend. Their relationship had developed so fast…

_Ugh… labels are stupid…_ Naya scolded in her head. They didn't need a "best friend" label on their friendship. Heather and Naya just… are. There was nothing more to it. When it came out in that interview, the words just kinda slipped through her lips. It was mainly because of the affect that Heather had over her. Whenever the topic of the girl came up in an interview, Naya always had this tendency to say more than she should. Words would just tumble out of her mouth because she simply wished it were true at the time, nothing had ever been established in a conversation between the two of them. Everything was just assumed. So when the interview actually came out, the dancer bounded into her trailer… Naya could her Heather's voice faintly squeal in her mind…

"_Awww! You said we're best friends?" the blonde wrapped her arms around the surprised Latina, engulfing her with her warm embrace. "I love it when you make things official…"_

It was so typically sweet, and innocent of Heather. It wasn't her fault, if anything it was Naya's. She was the one who buried herself in this mess. It isn't right to have such strong feelings for your best friend. God… it's not normal to have feelings like this for a girl! She was still coping with this fact. She seriously did feel like she was some confused teenager again. _Didn't I already go through this? _Naya's mind pleaded to the ceiling of her trailer as her arms flailed up in unison. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. The whole situation made her head hurt and her heart ache. The thing about Naya was that she has in the past had little girl crushes. She just assumed that she was simply jealous of the way they looked, or wished she could be more like them. She convinced herself it was just part of her fascination on improving her imperfections; she had it engrained in her mind that she was anything from perfect.

_Apparently you were mistaken, Rivera._ Who would have thought? Naya Rivera was actually insecure about her sexuality. Hell, Naya was insecure about a lot of things. She realized this when she met Heather. The girl seemed to resurface problems and feelings she thought she had dealt with ages ago. She just wanted to scream and make all of it go away. She hated having to push herself away from the one person she trusted most. Naya is a pretty good actress, but her acting can only go so far around Heather. Every day it was getting more and more impossible to hide these things from her. Heather is the only one Naya had ever met that could chip away at the fortress she had built around herself. She always felt incredibly vulnerable around the blonde. It didn't help when her emotions were visibly conveyed on her face whenever Heather would give her those little touches and squeezes. And Heather was a very touchy, feely person… She just wanted to have the liberty of feeling normal around her best friend again. Naya hung her arm off the couch to grab her plushy pillow-pet. She clutched the purple cushion close to her chest and looked down into the eyes of Harold the Hungry Hippo.

"I guess the normalness didn't really last that long though did it, Harold?" Naya asked her inanimate friend lying on her stomach. She patted his head, wishing its beady black eyes would give her answers. She continued.

"You know… it probably took me only about three months after we met to realize I was falling for her? Yeah… lame I know." Her mind wandered to the very moment it happened. It had been over something so simple too.

_Naya had been having one of those more frustrating days on the set of Glee. She had been locked away in the tin shed for the whole afternoon along with Dianna, the cheerio extras, and of course Heather. They were learning the choreography to Dianna's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" number. Being a cheerio's number, of course the choreography was going to complicated. This resulted in Naya's legs to feel like a jelloish, tangled mess. It was horrible. Normally Naya could handle the dance moves quite easily, especially compared to Cory and Mark. But there something about this routine, or that day, that just set her a beat behind everyone else. _

_Naya was burning up from both anger and the humidity that had accumulated over the course of rehearsal. Her forehead was drenched and the rest of her body was coated with a sheen layer of sweat. The light material of her tank annoyingly clung to her chest and stomach as she would attempt to adjust it whenever there was a brief pause, but it failed to have any affect. She felt incredibly unattractive at the moment and so very uncomfortable. Naya could tell she was in definite need of shower by the odors emitting from her body. She was literally fuming. _

_The time slot they had with Zach was almost up and Naya could tell he was at his wits end with her. He finally told her to sit the last run-through and would work on it with her after. Embarrassed with her lack of ability to keep up with Dianna and the female dancers, Naya sat herself in a corner and kept to herself. She sipped at her water, feeling her efforts didn't deserve the indulgence of the cool liquid. She watched the girls, mainly Heather, run through the number with such ease. Heather's languid legs gracefully spanned the length of the shed as she went through the rather seductive bits of the number. Naya admired her ability to learn and perfect something in such a short period of time. The more she analyzed the more annoyed she got that she couldn't get piece down. She buried her head in her hands, the frustration building in her temples. _

_It wasn't until the music subsided when she looked back up. Dianna and Heather seemed to be intently listening to last minute pointers from Zach as they chugged down their water bottles. The other girls were stretching out their tired muscles, resting a little while before slowly filing out of the tin shed. Zach finally gave Dianna a reassuring pat on the shoulder, a kind gesture that she had worked well today. Naya puffed at her hair in irritation. _Lucky her_… she thought as she rolled her eyes. Heather lingered with Zach a little longer. They were probably having some intense dance discussion… Then Naya saw Zach make the slightest head nod in her direction. Naya let her head fall back against the wall behind her and her gut seemed to plummet towards the ground. She hated it when people talked about her when her presence was so evidently known. It pissed her off even more when she knew that they were probably criticizing her. She shook her head, and took a deep breath through her nostrils. _Focus Naya! You can do this. Just get this fucking choreography down and then you can sleep_. She exhaled._

"_Hey Naya! I'll give you ten and then back to work, yeah?" It wasn't really much of a question than it was a statement and Zach made his way towards the door for his break. Naya simply nodded. She got up gingerly, her body torn into shambles. Naya began to stretch out her limbs to ready herself for what she was sure was going to be at least an hour more of torture. _

"_Whoa there… When Zach said take ten he meant to take a breather, Nay, not kill yourself. That will happen sooner than you think," Heather had said with sweet playfulness. Oh, Heather… when has she ever not been there when Naya needed her most?_

"_Yeah? Well not all of us can afford breaks, Heather," Naya could recall being snappy at that moment. Pondering back on the memory, she wished she could have taken it back. _

_Heather frowned. "We all know you're fully capable of dancing the number, Nay. And you should believe it too… you don't give yourself enough credit."_

_Naya scoffed and continued to stretch out her legs, completely brushing off the Heather's endearing compliment. It was one that Naya would later store in the back of her mind. "Are you kidding me? I was undoubtedly the worst dancer in the room today. I need all the help I can get."_

"_Stop," Heather's tone was serious, but her smile still danced on her lips as she forced Naya out of her current stretch. She placed a firm grip on her shoulders and pierced her with those crystal blue eyes. "Now you listen to me. I don't wanna hear you degrading yourself anymore. It drives me insane! You are so natural at everything you do Naya, that it baffles me whenever you say those things about yourself. I do not want to hear it anymore, okay?"_

_Naya closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, catching some of Heather's scent. Musky, but with the familiar scent of honey and a mix of maple syrup. Naya encircled her hands over Heather's and hung her head down. The contact made Heather's hold slack ever so slightly as her palms made squeezing, massaging motions. Her friend's touch was comforting and it made Naya sigh._

"_I know… I'm sorry. I can be such an overachieving, bitch sometimes. I get a little too carried away with myself."_

"_Hey, I said enough with the negative," Heather said, but that smile played on her lips as she lifted Naya's chin so their eyes met._

"_Ugh… I've just never been more frustrated!" Naya threw her arms up in air in dramatic exasperation and collapsed back onto the floor, her limbs splayed about in every which direction. Heather smirked at her adoringly. "That was some major suckage out there. Come on… not even you can deny that."_

_Heather pondered over the statement before plopping down next to her shorter best friend. "True. I've seen better," Heather said playfully. "But you're just having an off day. Everyone has one every now and again. You can't expect to be all happy and on top of things twenty-four, seven." _

"_You are. You're perfect," Naya mumbles._

"_No one is perfect, Naya. Not even Lady Gaga in all her holiness," Heather replies sincerely, adding her witty remark. Heather had just recently been completely obsessed with Gaga's newly released Fame Monster album and has been playing it nonstop. Naya smiled at the memory of Heather attempting to dance poorly while singing Alejandro at the top of her lungs in their trailer the other day. She let out another sigh. Heather still sensing her friend's discomfort in the matter rolled over to lay on her belly and turned her head to the side to face Naya. She reached out her hand and began making lazy circles on Naya's sheer, tank top clad stomach. Naya closed her eyes to her best friend's soothing touch as it slowly began to relax her. _

"_Sometimes, I wish I could be more like you," Naya said, eyes still closed._

"_Please don't say that…" the circling motion on her abdomen stopped, making Naya look back up at Heather through half lidded eyes. Heather's face was stark serious, her lips pursed together in a thin line. "You keep making me sound like I'm some sort of saint or something, when you know I'm not…"_

"_Heather, I—" Naya tried to defend her remark, but Heather continued._

"_No. Can't you see? I think you're amazing, Naya," she paused, blue orbs searching chocolate ones. _

"_When you do things, I think to myself gosh… if only I had the guts to do something like that. And when you speak to people? You're always so bold with your words and you always mean them. You're so stubborn, but that's one of the best traits. You never take any crap from anyone. I admire so much about you. So you promise me that you won't ever change…" Heather spoke in a low voice just above a whisper and sometime during her little monologue her hand that was on her stomach found its way to Naya's cheek, cupping it gently._

_Naya didn't quite know how to respond to such a string of compliments. When Naya didn't speak, Heather continued. "One of these days, all this hard work will pay off and our characters will eventually make it somewhere. I mean it sounds pretty much near impossible right now cause we're just Quinn's henchmen… women, whatever. But Ryan and Brad and everyone will have to eventually realize that there's so much more to Brittany and Santana and how much more there is to us. If they don't then if anything you'll make it somewhere because you've got something special, Nay that only you can give."_

_They've had serious conversations before, but they were always lighthearted and more or less about past relationships and heartbreak. The only other notable discussion that left the both of them in tears was when Heather poured her heart out to Naya about her dad. Naya had held her for hours. This time it was different. There was something about what Heather just told her that stirred a different emotion in the smaller brunette. At first it was uncomfortable, but then it swelled into this warm tingling sensation in her chest. It scared the shit out of her. For the first time being with Heather, Naya choked on her words. When she was finally able to speak, she couldn't comment on what Heather had said directly._

"_Why do you deal with all my shit?" Naya said in a half chuckle to try to lighten the heavy mood._

"_Because," Heather's voice instantly snapped back to cheery sunshine. She retracted her hand back from Naya's cheek to lean against it as she began to kick her legs up behind her in that adorable way that was Heather. "You're my Naya," she had stated it so simply as if it was obvious and Naya's heart began to flutter. Then she finished with, "And I'm your Heather."_

Yup, that was definitely the moment it hit her and the stuttering and awkwardness had ensued. Naya sighed. About more than a year and a half now of fighting back feelings and long nights of crying into her pillow. She had become an expert at putting on a face when she was around Heather. Naya just hoped it was enough for people not to realize it, because honestly Heather was wearing her down. She didn't know how much more she could take and her work was beginning to look sloppy. She thanked whoever was up there that Heather didn't like reading the fans' comments because she said it was "too much pressure!" Naya was sure if she read them, Heather would have found out within the first few weeks of her crush. _Damn those fans, they just love to analyze every little thing…_ It was horrifying, because they were right…

Before Glee, all this would seem so uncharacteristic of Naya. She used to exude so much more confidence and independence. She hadn't lost it completely, but she had definitely become more vulnerable ever since she had met Heather. Naya would like to describe her past self as normal and driven. Not in the crazy, bitch way like Santana. She was normal and that's all she wanted to be. But now, Heather has got her world completely turned upside down as Naya is timidly hugging onto her pillow pet as if her life depended on it.

"Oh Harold… I don't know how much longer I can do this for. Soon, I won't be able to convince anyone… especially you know who," Naya mumbled into the soft fur. She closed her eyes and breathed in. All she could smell was Heather.


	2. Chapter 2

I Am the Liar and You Are the Saint  
>Chapter 2<p>

Naya jumped at the loud banging from her trailer door. She instinctively curled into a ball, not wanting to be disturbed from her safe haven free of Heather. Well, not really completely free, since everything in her trailer screamed Heather. The blonde was probably in Naya's trailer more often than she was for the two were so used to sharing the vicinity that it was abnormal to have separate ones. Since their dream had come true and both of their characters have arched out into independent storylines, the two actresses we allowed the luxury of their own trailers. But they were having immense amounts of separation anxiety that it was starting to have an effect on the rest of the cast. Thus Heather's things had accumulated over time in Naya's trailer, but now it all seemed to be mocking the poor, suffering Latina.

The knocking continued when Naya refused to get up or speak up to the intruder. Just about when Naya thought the situation couldn't get any worse, she heard the knock speak.

"Naya Rivera! I know you're in there! And if you don't open this trailer door right now, you know I _will _knock it down!" although Heather's voice attempted to be threatening, it all sounded like melting butter to Naya. How on earth did things come to this moment? Naya can't exactly remember, but she was sure it was due to an accumulation of cutting time spent on set and off set with Heather. She was only doing it for both their sakes, and for her own health.

She groaned… loudly. Naya pulled Harold over her face in attempt to drown out the sound of Heather's attack on the door and her demands that she open it "NOW!" However, this only made things worse. As she pulled her purple plushy friend over her face, she was instantly drowned in honey and syrup and Heather. _Ugh! She's fucking everywhere!_ Naya cursed in her mind, and she's pretty sure she screamed a little into her pillow too.

"Naya! Come on, cut the crap and talk to me! You know you're acting really immature right now?" At that statement Naya scowled and threw Harold towards the door, as if it would make Heather go away. So much for maturity… It made a light thud against the flimsy plastic type material of the trailer door. Harold had no effect, and Heather continued to assault her poor door.

"I don't understand what you're problem is!"

_My problem is you!_ Naya shoot back in her mind towards the door, as if she were retorting back to Heather.

"Did you ever think that I may be able to help whatever it is that's going on right now?"

_Ha… I really doubt that. If you tried to help that would require you knowing and if you knew then the roles would be reverse. Then I would be the one begging to talk. Trust me, you will not be able to help. _ She folded her arms across her chest and stared back up at the ceiling.

"I know it's going to come out eventually so you might as well just talk to me now while I'm willing to listen to you."

_Believe me… I'm going to try to keep it from "coming out" for as long as possible, so don't even try. _

"Please, Nay… I look like an idiot standing out here talking to your door. Can you just let me in?" Naya looked back towards the door. The banging had ceased. Heather sounded sincerely worried, and embarrassed…

"Look, Naya… Whatever I did, if it is something I did… I swear I didn't do it on purpose, to hurt you or anything. I'm sorry…"

Naya rolled onto her side and brought her knees up to her chest as she stared at the door, staring at Heather. She let out a long sigh… _But you did hurt me. You are hurting me, even if you don't mean to…_ This was way too much to handle. When she had signed her contract for Glee, she never thought she was signing up for this…

"Nay? Please? Are you there?" Heather sounded almost desperate and like always it pulled at Naya's heartstrings.

She slowly got up from the couch and made her way over to the door. She placed her hand on the lock, but didn't move it. Naya was pretty sure she let a good thirty seconds go by before she made up her mind and unlatched it. She turned back around and plunged back into the couch in order to shield herself from what she was sure was going to be the wrath of Heather Morris.

Just as she had suspected, at the instant Heather heard the door unlock she aggressively pushed it open. As she opened the door, she had felt a slight weight against it. From the force of the push she could see in the corner of her eye, a blur of purple fly to the opposite end of the trailer. She simply ignored it as she struts inside before Naya could even protest. But she wasn't protesting. She was actually trying to bury herself in the crook of the couch between the armrest and the end cushion. Heather examined the cowering body, an expression of confusion and anger clearly plastered on her beautiful face.

The door was heard closing behind her. Heather tried to speak but ended up spluttering by the sight in front of her. What in the world has gotten into her best friend? Naya had been acting so uncharacteristically timid lately. She seemed to be keeping her distance from Heather, and she was not used to it. At first Heather simply thought she was overwhelmed with the work load given to them recently and they both did have lives of their own. She did admit that they had been growing more apart these days with so much press and the huge boom for the Brittana relationship. It had put a slight strain on their relationship, so she figured Naya just needed some space. She didn't want to annoy the woman. That was the last thing she wanted to do, but this whole avoiding thing was too much for Heather. Something needed to be done. She still loved and cared for Naya and still considered her as her "bestie". Heather was having some intense withdrawals.

She composed herself; she was not going to explode completely, only partially. She had promised that to Dianna as she tried to intercept her mission over to Naya's trailer. She was about to speak, when she turned her head left as she recognized the purple blur that had flown across the room moments before. She stopped herself and sadness suddenly sank in her chest. Heather walked over and picked up Harold, the Hungry Hippo pillow pet that had been a gift to Naya as an inside joke. Heather had somehow gotten Naya for secret Santa one year, and it had been the only year since due to some other quite obscene gifts that were exchanged (namely a box of magnum condoms from Mark to Corey and a dildo from Lea to Dianna).

It was one night when the two of them were just relaxing after a long day of work at Heather's apartment, eating Chinese takeout when the infomercial came on. Naya burst into fits of laughter sending bits of fried rice on the coffee table. Heather scolded her in disgust and forced her to clean it up later. Naya just couldn't get over those pillow pets.

"_I really don't understand how that appeals to small children! The thing freakin' pops open when it unhooks!" Naya exclaimed, a hand covering her food filled mouth._

"_They're adorable! They're like… oversized stuffed animals that you can sleep on. It's a two-in-one deal," Heather opposed laughing along with her friend._

"_Heather… it's a pillow with a stuffed head on it. How is that practical or comfortable?"_

Heather shook her head out of her reverie. That and Snuggies always seemed to get to her brunette friend.

"_They're ugly, Heather. Seriously, they're hideous. It's pretty much a fashion crime. If you're cold just put on another sweater."_

Naya's words made her smile. When Naya opened her gift, she couldn't stop laughing for ages. And Heather loved it when Naya laughed… Her true heartfelt laugh. Heather imagined that Naya's laugh was the laugh that Bruno Mars wrote that song for. She remembered when they were naming Harold. They had gone to Borders and looked at all the baby name books in order to find the perfect name for him. Harold certainly matched the hippo perfectly. Heather let out an exasperated sigh and looked down into Harold's beady eyes, just as Naya had done minutes before.

"You threw Harold…" Naya noticed that Heather sounded hurt and it caused her to sit up on the couch. He was like their metaphorical baby. "You never hurt Harold. You're so overprotective of him when Mark or Cory gets their hands on him."

"Yeah because it's Mark and Cory… Who knows where their hands have been," Naya couldn't help but retort sarcastically. Heather looked up at her and their eyes locked.

Heather dared to approach Naya, as she placed Harold back onto Naya's lap. Naya let her eyes rake over the beautifulness that was Heather. She was still in her cheerio costume, but her hair was let loose from the tight ponytail that had constricted her locks all day. Heather adorned dorky argyle socks and those puffy slippers. She looked messy, but that's how Naya liked her best. Naya had worked her way out of her uniform and into a pair of comfy sweatpants and a form fitting tank top. Her hair sat piled up on the top of her head in a messy bun, to reflect the disorganized emotional state she was currently in. She had been done with shooting for the day around noon, but decided to sit in her trailer to mope as she waited for her vocal rehearsal in the evening for "River Deep, Mountain High." They were currently filming the first four episodes of the second season, and oh did the Brittana fans have a surprise in store for them…

When Naya had read the script for "Duets", she was pretty sure she couldn't breathe properly for the rest of the day. During the read-through she nearly choked at the line _it's a nice break from all that scissoring._ She couldn't look Heather straight in the eye since then in fear that she would be able to see all the feelings Naya had been trying to hide for the past year and a half. Sure she was ecstatic that the relationship was beginning to bloom like she had always thought it would. Naya was probably Brittana's number one fan, as she unabashedly proclaimed that Brittany and Santana were soul mates, well because they were. However, more Brittana meant more Heather and more Heather meant an extremely defenseless Naya. Shooting has been going out of order so they still hadn't filmed the scene yet, but she was dreading for when the moment was to occur. She still hadn't talked it over with the tall, blonde in front of her yet. It was one of the many things on her list to worry about when it comes to Heather.

"Gosh Naya! What that heck has been going on lately?" Heather finally spoke, breaking the staring contest between them. Her arms flailed about angrily before landing on her hips as she turned away from the brunette.

"I don't know what you mean…" Naya mumbled, trying to sound innocent.

"Oh, please… you know exactly what I mean." Heather whipped back around so fast, it made Naya's head dizzy. "You don't answer my texts or my calls. Whenever we're on set you make sure there's always a third party in the room. And then when I ask you if you want to hang out, you blow me off. I understand that you may be busy, but this is the eighth time Naya. I should have stopped all of this at the third. It's been three weeks since we had a one-on-one conversation. Now you try and convince me there isn't something wrong…"

Heather doesn't normally get mad, so angry doesn't suit her well. When Heather tries to be upset with something, Naya just ends up laughing. This however was a different situation. Naya had never been this intimidated of towering, blonde in her life.

Naya opened her mouth to speak, but Heather continued. "I know it's been hard and overwhelming ever since second season has started, but it's been the same way for me too. So don't try and pull the victim card here," Heather started to pace.

"I mean I expected this to happen, to some extent, ever since Ryan told us our parts were expanding and when he told me I got Britney. And that night you stayed up on the phone with me as I balled my eyes out… I miss that. Not the crying part, but you Naya. It's like you've disappeared off the face of the effing earth and I'm stuck wading in the water without you as I'm barely staying afloat! I feel like I'm losing my best friend!" Heather exclaimed flailing her arms again.

"Heather, stop. Calm down—" Naya stood up and attempted to hold down Heather's frantic body. When Naya finally spoke Heather stopped her rant and looked at her with sad watery baby blue eyes.

She interrupted her again, but spoke softly this time, "Naya… What did I do? What did I do to deserve this from you? Did I say something? You've never shut me out for three weeks without purpose, Nay. For fuckssake, you're scaring me. Whatever I did I'll apologize for it."

Naya's heart broke. Yeah, she's pretty confident that she heard it spilt in two right then. Heather in her arms in a complete utter mess, with those words leaving her lips made Naya's heart break. The last thing staying away from Heather was supposed to result in was Heather to be in any form of pain. Fuck… Naya was so selfish about her own needs and hopeless love for the woman that she went out and made her crazy! She didn't know how to go about explaining why she had to though… she couldn't say it. Still, after a year and a half of knowing she couldn't muster the fucking courage to tell her she was in love with her.

"Heather… Look at me," Naya lifted up Heather's downcast face, but then quickly withdrew. She had to remember to keep minimal contact and a considerable amount of distance between the two of them. She had learned over time that that had worked best with helping her compose her impulses.

"I…" again, Naya was having issues forming words around the blonde. The angry part of her wanted to scream out all her suppressed feelings and tell her that fuck yes it was all her fault! She should damn right apologize. But the better part of her knew what she had to say.

"Nay, you know you can tell me anything," Heather said her eyes gazing down on her expectantly. She took a step forward and Naya instinctively tried to step back, but the couch was in the way. She was trapped and Heather noticed. Heather ran soft palms down Naya's tanned arms, taking hold of the Latina's hands in her own trying to make her relax like the gesture used to do. It did anything but. Naya bit her bottom lip and looked down so Heather couldn't see the heat rise to her cheeks, as goosebumps spread over the skin she had just touched. She sucked in a breath. Mistake. Nothing but honey and goddamn maple syrup. _Jesus, did she have waffles every morning or something?_ Naya cursed in her head.

"Naya?" she spoke softly.

Finally looking up at her straight in the eyes, she sighed out, "Nothing is your fault, Heather… None of it is ever your fault. I… just…" More blue searching eyes, "Like you said. It's been a tough past few weeks. It's not fair that I'm taking it out on you," she said, but then finished with, "and everyone else."

"I truly am sorry, Hemo," Naya tried, using her nickname. It did cause her to give a slight smile. "I had no idea that you felt that way."

"Well I do feel that way. You should already know that, Nay. You know how much you mean to me." Naya nodded shamefully. She should have known, but how could she? Sometimes Heather was harder to understand than she thought…

"Come here," Naya for once didn't protest as Heather pulled her in for a much needed hug. It may have been only three weeks, and for normal people that may be okay, but for Naya she had missed Heather's hugs terribly. She felt overcome with warmth in Heather's loving embrace. They stayed like that a while, appreciating each other. Naya took in every bit of that honey and syrup as she could and savored it. When they finally pulled apart, Naya immediately missed the contact.

"Are you sure that's it? There isn't anything else you need to tell me? Might as well get all out in the open while we're at it," she said, giggling lightly. Naya shook her head no.

Then the surprising question, "Is it anything dealing with Mark?"

"What? Mark? No… why in the world would you ask that?" Naya asked eyebrows furrowed at the mention of her ex's name… Yeah, story for another time.

"I was just asking," Heather responded defensively. "He's been kinda moody, especially around you lately…"

"I honestly know as much as you do Hemo… I haven't really talked to him in a while and don't care much to either."

Heather nodded understandingly and left the subject alone for now. "Come over tonight. Nate and I are doing pizza and beer. Join us?" Heather's eyes looked expectantly at Naya.

The last thing she wanted to do was be a third wheeler on date night in, surrounded by alcoholic beverages and teasing high calorie circles of death… Nate was her high school sweetheart and they had been dating off and on for the past two years. They were currently "on" as he just moved out to L.A. to be with Heather. She explained to Naya that he's really committing this time. To Naya all it sounded like was bullshit. _Oh hey, my ex-girlfriend is like super famous now, I should get back together with her even though I broke her heart a million times…_ Doosh… Naya thought. But she couldn't really say that. She did meet the guy once, and as much as it pains for her to say, he was a good guy and he was head-over-heels for Heather. Not to mention, they were sickly affectionate when they were together. Naya knew that Heather was more a physical person when displaying her love, but they could at least have a little decency at times… It made Naya want to vomit. They were together and there wasn't much she could do about it. But all Naya could think about is the countless nights she would spend over at Heather's place, comforting her as she cried over arguments they would have. Who was she to compete though? She's a girl… that's a million negative points right there.

"I can't."

"Naya…" Heather moaned, aggravation hitching in her voice again.

"No really… I'm not trying to avoid you again, I swear… I have a vocal session for "River Deep, Mountain High" tonight and you know how long that will take me… I've been struggling with that song ever since Ryan wanted me to sing the higher section of it."

"Don't say that. You sing amazingly…" Heather cooed. "But okay then… I guess I understand. Work can't _always_ come first though. Remember to take a break every once a while?"

Naya nods.

"Good. So… we're okay now? No more shutting me out for three weeks without notice?" Heather's irresistible smile played on her lips as the pad of her index finger tapped the tip of Naya's nose.

All Naya could do was smile back. As convincingly as she could she said, "Yeah… we're okay, Heather."

Naya knew deep down in her heart, that they were far from okay.


	3. Chapter 3

This one was tough to write… A lot of information is included in this one though that I feel is important to further the plot. So hang in there, happiness will come eventually! But I have to tell you it's a long journey filled with many moments of angst. Sorry if that's not your cup of tea! Anyways, on with the chapter!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 3<p>

Naya didn't get back from vocal rehearsals till late, or early... All she knew is that the last time she was conscious her clock said it was 1:19 AM. Good thing she told Heather she had to make a rain check on pizza and beer with Nate. Although if she were back home at a decent hour Naya doubted she would have made the effort to go spend time with the happy couple. She had to be up in about four hours… tomorrow was not going to be fun at all. Once she entered her apartment, she made a beeline to her bed and collapsed without making any attempt to take anything off. It had been an emotionally draining day and Naya greeted sleep happily. Unfortunately, her little time for sleep was cut an hour short as she received an annoying buzz in her pocket from her cell phone. Waking up to a cell phone call or text was the best way to piss off the Latina.

"Who the fuck is texting me at four o'clock in the fucking morning…" she groaned angrily.

She pulled out her iPhone and her fingers automatically punched in her pin number unlocking the screen and read the message through still half closed eyelids. It was Heather… Naya suddenly felt slightly more awake. She scrolled through the text:

**Heather Morris 4:28 AM **_Good morning lovely! Sorry, I know it's early and ur prob not up, but I just wanted to txt u and say both nate and I missed you so much last night. I hope rehearsals went well… I know they always go well with you :)_ _Anyways cant wait to see u today im glad we made things better bestie. Coffee in the morning? Luv ya!_

Naya sighed. It was so Heather to think that everything can go back to normal so easily. Why the fuck was she up at four AM? It was such an ungodly hour for any _normal_ human-being to be awake. But then again this was Heather she was talking about, and Heather was full of wonderful, special. Naya's mind was still processing things because of the fact that she's had very little time to think about the last twenty-four hours. She looked back to the glowing screen of her phone and read over Heather's words for a second time.

Like hell Nate missed Naya. He probably doesn't even remember her from the brief moment they met. He was too engulfed in Heather to notice her. Then again, Naya was pretty engulfed in Heather as well, until Nate came into the frame. After that all Naya could remember was having three too many vodka shots that night and making the mistake of going home with Mark, again… Nate probably enjoyed his pizza and beer night completely alone with his girl. _They probably fucked…_ Naya thought. She smacked her hand against her forehead as the disgusting image of Nate's hands running over a scantily clad Heather invaded her mind.

"Ew, ew, ew… fuck! That's disgusting stop thinking about that," Naya was practically begging her mind to stop.

Naya groaned and she raised her phone back up to her face but, the backlight had already turned off so she unlocked her phone again. She was instantly greeted by a photo of her and Heather from before second season had started. It was right before the promotional slushy shoot where they threw cups of the frozen drink. That was a good day. Heather and her had been inseparable the entire shoot after being away from each other during most of the break. Heather would keep saying the most adorable things to keep her blushing and for some reason unbeknownst to her, Naya could not keep her hands off of her best friend. She constantly was intertwining their fingers and leaning in for fake kisses, which just landed meaninglessly on Heather's cheek. She did that well-knowing Heather was back with Nate. She mentally smacked herself for being so weak. On her screen, Heather was making her iconic blank Brittany face and Naya was making her signature pouty lips right next to her cheek. As she typed in her number, she immediately went to the photos icon on her home screen. She slowly began to flick through the various photos she had, purposely pausing on the ones of her and Heather or Heather by herself. Each one would stir a special memory of when the photo was taken.

Naya suddenly stopped completely. She gazed up at the glowing image of Heather clad in nothing but an orange bikini. She was suspended in air, for when the picture was captured Heather had been trying to make her laugh by doing some dorky dance moves up and down the beach. Naya remembered it was early morning when they went and the sand had yet to be touched by anyone else. Coincidentally they had gone the morning after a sleepover at Heather's place; one of those in which she was venting about an episode of Nate vs. Heather. It had resulted in a rather drained and emotionally distraught version of Heather Morris that Naya despised seeing. So that morning she woke up extremely early for a Sunday and dragged Heather out to the beach.

She remembered it being extremely cold, and she couldn't believe Heather was willing to run around in the coastal air with simply her two-piece on. Heather always stunned Naya, no matter the occasion the blonde always stole her breath away. She had a simpler fashion, but her simplicity made her all the more sexy to Naya. She couldn't take her eyes off of Heather that day because she was simply beautiful. Heather had a constant covering of goosebumps dotting her skin and Naya could remember seeing her erect nipples poke through the thin material of her swim suit. The sight of Heather made Naya too hot to think about the biting cold. Every time Heather would finish a little dance recital for Naya, she would rush back to her friend and bury herself in her arms for a good ten minutes warming up before going at it again. She even jumped into the grey, icy waves pulling her Latina best friend with her. That certainly cooled her down as Naya scolded her as she shivered the whole drive back home. However as a bonus it resulted in a wonderful afternoon nap filled with cuddling, in which Naya couldn't resist. She had to hold herself back from pouncing on the blonde to ravish those taunting lips and abs every second of that day. She's still proud to this moment that she was able to do so.

She remembered being so happy, wishing it would never end. All their worries seemed so miniscule compared to the large spanning ocean. But they hadn't gone back to the beach together since then. _Guess it was a one-time thing, _Naya thought to herself. Her eyes continued to scan over the dancer's body. The familiar heat that Heather had made Naya feel that day started to swim over her again. Naya's hand was splayed over her right breast and she suddenly felt her nipple automatically harden with the all too familiar sensation that was quickly rushing over her body. She began to roll the bud between her forefinger and thumb through the thin material of her tank top as her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing became raspy. Close thoughts of Heather floated through her mind and suddenly it was _her_ hands on her body. A warm whirring sensation clenched at her lower abdomen and she ached to be touched.

_Heather's fingertips raked teasing lines up and down her stomach under her shirt. Her right hand stopped just short of the waistband of Naya's sweatpants as her left continued to roam upwards towards her chest. She cupped her breast and kneaded lightly, the pads of her fingers just grazing over her hardened nub. Naya moaned audibly loud. Heather's mischievous grin danced on her lips as her warm hand dipped past the band of her pants. She let a finger swipe tauntingly quick over Naya's overly heated flesh. Naya could barely contain herself._

"Oh, fuck… H-Heather…"

_Heather glided her fingers over Naya's wet folds and she squirmed uncontrollably. Finally, relief seemed to sweep over her as Heather slipped two long fingers into her throbbing center. Naya panted as a rhythm was formed and she bucked her hips against Heather's pumping fingers. Her movements were frantic and desperate as Naya was soon coming close, her orgasm building. She whimpered helplessly._

"Jesus Christ! O-Oh God… I'm so close…"

The blaring of her alarm caused Naya's eyes to shoot open. Her breathing was uneven and her heart was beating at an abnormal pace. She let her mind rest briefly as the room was still spinning. When her body settled down, she rubbed her eyes awake, pausing to squeeze the bridge of her nose in frustration. Naya removed her hand from between her legs and wiped her fingers on the sheets of her bed. She looked over to her alarm: 5:30 AM. She needed to be at work around an hour or so. She leaned up and slammed the noise off and fell back onto her bed.

She sighed again, for what seemed like the millionth time. Naya had been unable to get herself off lately with only the mere thought of Heather. She would be able to build herself all the way up to the point she's positive she'll be burst, but it never _comes._ And it was frustrating… to say the least. She sat up and adjusted her disheveled tank top.

_I suppose a cold shower will have to do…_

Naya strut onto the Paramount set of Glee, trying to radiate as much confidence as she could. She needed to get back the old Naya, the one who could achieve anything with integrity and humility. She had reasoned during her long, cold shower that she needed to snap out of this daydreaming fantasy of Heather. It was not doing her career any good. She finally came to the conclusion that the blonde would never reciprocate such feelings back. It was impossible… she was officially with Nate and that _wasn't _going to change. Even if it did, she wasn't just going to suddenly switch teams and be with Naya. The whole situation was putting Naya on the same circular path of hope and then heartbreak. She couldn't bare it anymore.

So there she went on her way to her trailer, head held high and the heels of her boots clicking against the gravel pavement. She couldn't help but notice the increase in attention as she paraded up the lot. Even then, it didn't make her feel any better. Although her lips were curled up in her delicious smirk, her tired, sad eyes were hidden behind dark shades. She had to hide all of that away if she wanted to move on. Oh how she desperately needed to move on. Then maybe she could finally be the super hero best friend Heather had been deprived of.

_Confidence, Rivera. Confidence!_ Naya was repeating this over in her mind as she approached her trailer and swept inside its safe walls. She closed the door behind her and let out a strangled breath of relief she hadn't realized she had been holding back. She slipped her sunglasses off down her nose and ran her fingers over her eyelids as she had done last night. Naya suddenly froze in place. She sniffed the air… honey and syrup.

_Oh shit…_

She opened her eyes to a glowing Heather, sitting in her dresser's chair, with two cups of coffee in her hands. _Is it even possible for someone to glow?_ Naya wondered. At first Naya thought she may have gotten the wrong trailer and subconsciously walked into Heather's, but then she spotted Harold on the couch. Heather displayed her perfect set of white teeth with a beaming grin. She looked so happy and radiant… _Fuck, they did do it last night. The afterglow of sex is so obviously written over her entire body. She's just emitting great sex! Is this some form of torture? _ Naya's composure was slowly slipping from her grasp. She just wanted to gain her confidence back, but Heather was making it near impossible.

"Hi!" Heather chided. Her voice was drenched in cheerfulness, it almost sounded fake.

"Um, hey… Hi," Naya replied back trying to get her feet back onto the ground. "Uh… H-How did you get in? I swear I locked the door when I left…" Naya said, looking back at the door and examining the lock.

"I have my ways, Rivera… You know that," she said mischievously, still smiling uncontrollably.

It wasn't actually an unnatural occurrence that Heather found her way into Naya's trailer. How she always managed her way in still baffled the Latina. But now it seemed a little disconcerting to Naya that Heather could so easily be sitting in her trailer at any given moment seeing the conditions have changed. This unpredictability was not helping Naya's recovery.

"Oh come on, Nay. You know I won't do anything stupid in here and if you wanted your privacy I would leave," Heather added, sensing Naya's worry.

"No, no… it's fine. I guess I should be used to it," Naya said, laughing nervously. She hoped Heather didn't notice.

"Yah, well, maybe since you were ignoring me for three weeks it slipped from your mind when you said 'you practically live here Hemo, so come in whenever you like'."

"Heather, I said I was sorry for doing that to you. I—"

"Shh… No, don't apologize anymore… _I'm _sorry I brought it up again," Heather spoke sincerely. "We fixed it, so now we can move on!"

She smiled, and Naya smiled back. If only it could be that simple for Naya.

"Coffee?" Heather sung, holding out the cup for Naya while sipping her own.

"Yes, please… I'm definitely going to need the caffeine." Naya walked up to Heather and took the cure for her drowsiness from of her hand.

"I'm always telling you to get more sleep, Nay. You know the whole sleep debt thing if you don't give yourself enough hours? Well it's no joke."

"Yeah well unfortunately my beauty sleep was cut short by your lovely four AM text, darling," Naya bickered back. She dropped her bag by the couch and rested her back against the arm rest as she casually swung her legs on the length of it, facing Heather.

Heather snickered. "I said sorry in the text! And you never responded!"

"Heather, may I remind you? It was four o'clock in the friggin morning. You should expect me not to text you back. Why in the world were you up that early anyways?"

"I was…" Heather paused looked down at her hands. _That's odd_. "I wanted to start my day early… I, uh… couldn't really sleep so I went out for a run."

Naya raised her eyebrows questioningly. Heather's slight mood shift worried her. "Is everything okay?"

Heather looked back up at her friend. "Mhm…" she responded while nodding. "Well, at least you got some sleep… some rest is better than no rest, Rivera."

"Oh, yeah? I'm currently functioning on only three hours of sleep thanks to you."

"Okay, now that is seriously not healthy."

"Well, you're the one contributing to my diminishing condition…" Naya meant this to be sarcastic, but it was nothing but true. Heather is, in several ways, making her all kinds of unhealthy…

"Fine, I'm sorry. Again," she took another sip of her coffee.

"Apology not accepted," Naya laughed out. She took a sip of the steaming liquid and it flowed down her throat, warming her chest. She smiled. Heather knew how she ordered her coffee by heart, and it made Naya melt even more. Could the woman do anything wrong?

Heather rolled her eyes and started, "I, well we, really missed you last night. Nate says hi."

"Oh, does he now…" Naya slipped out. She couldn't stop it before it left her lips and her eyes went wide by the realization. _Fucking, three hours of sleep… this is what happens when you only get three hours of sleep._

"What is that supposed to mean?" Heather said and Naya could hear a hint of sadness in her voice and her eyebrows knit together.

"Nothing," she responded quickly, too quickly. "It's just… I mean… I've only really talked to him once. I'm surprised he remembers me…" Naya took another sip of coffee trying to avert her eyes away from Heather's piercing gaze.

"Of course he remembers you, Nay. You're my best friend. I bring you up in pretty much every conversation. He'd be a horrible boyfriend if he didn't know who you were," she looked at Naya seriously.

"Sorry… I just assumed I guess…"

"Hmph… well, he does remember you. Besides you're Naya Rivera. He'd be pretty lame if he didn't know you from the start. Plus, he thinks you're like super hot," Heather giggles to Naya.

Naya was in the middle of a large gulp of her coffee when Heather said the last part of her statement and she nearly choked on it. She immediately was grossed out and horrified. She couldn't prevent her face from crinkling up in disgust.

"W-What? Ew… Isn't that a little… weird?" Naya spluttered.

Heather just laughed at her and shrugged her shoulders. "Eh… it's not like he wants to do you or anything," Naya nearly gagged at the thought. "And it's not like he's got bad taste. I mean he's right. You are _smokin' hot._" Heather mimicked Naya's Santana line from the Madonna episode.

Naya's face continued to look as if she were seasick, when there was a light rapping at the door. It squeaked opened slightly and the head of one of the set runners popped in.

"Hey, Naya… Oh hi Heather!" Heather waved back politely, as the kind but timid runner named Roy smiled sheepishly at the two of them. "You have hair and make-up in five. Molly will be in soon so be ready for her."

"Thanks, Roy," Naya said back sweetly. He smiled and left as quietly as he arrived. He was a nice guy… a bit of a creeper at times as he always seemed to walk in whenever Naya was changing. Rather inconvenient, but he was sincere nonetheless.

Heather turned back to Naya. "Well, I shall leave you to pamper yourself madam. You may need to tell Molly to add a little more somethin', somethin' underneath those eyes," Heather said lightheartedly as she had leaned over and prodded teasing fingers over Naya's tired eyes. She swatted them away playfully, as they both giggled.

"Again, your doing."

Heather shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I'll see you on set then in a few missy! Hopefully Mark doesn't try too hard to serenade you again today… We don't want a repeat from last time," Heather waggled her eyebrows at her.

This time Naya was the one to roll her eyes. Before bounding out the door, Heather turned back around and absentmindedly blew her back a kiss. Then just as she was magically sitting in her trailer, she was gone. Oh, the things that blonde did to Naya and she slouched a little further into her couch. She thought back to the words Heather had said just before she left about Mark. Naya found herself making the same wish that nothing out of the ordinary would happen between her and her ex today.

"Cut!" the man sitting in the director's chair yelled out to the lively bunch dancing around Mark. They were in the middle of filming the "Only the Good Die Young" sequence. Naya stood next to Heather and Kevin, the three of them goofing around. Heather continued to make fun of the corny dance move everyone had to do, clapping her hands above her head and swaying her hips all while bobbing her head like a ridiculous little duck. It just made Naya laugh harder and admire her friend's ability to make any dance choreography look good.

"Okay! You guys did all wonderfully today. Great job, Mark…" the director of the Grilled Cheesus episode, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon smiled at the lot of them. Naya was having a pretty good time on set so far, but now that the day was ending she was starting to feel a little tug in her eyes as her caffeinated self was really dying down. Dianna, Cory, and Lea had already taken advantage of her lack of sleep by asking her rather confusing questions that led to nowhere. The entire cast knew how Naya had problems stringing her words together when she was in this state, and it was the only time they could get a glimpse of a groaning, mumbling Naya. The only person who often saw this side of her was Heather, for reasons already known. She had to admit that her ramblings were pretty amusing. It was just a couple more hours till the weekend and Naya was thankful.

"I think we got everything for this scene down, thank you everyone. That should be it for today." All the cast members cheered as they were all ready to start their weekend. "But we do need Chris, Lea, and Cory to run through a couple of things before the weekend, so can you stay behind please. Oh and Mark and Naya… Adam Anders and the people in the music department need you two again to discuss the numbers you've been working on. Just some patching things up I'm assuming, after that you're free to go."

Naya's smile soon disappeared when their director told her she was needed. The feeling in her gut got even worse when she realized she would have to be alone with Mark. She looked over to find Mark with his guitar still around his neck, eyes shifting rather sullenly in her direction. He clenched his jaw and looked away, shrugging off his guitar strap and shoving it into the hands of a nearby runner. Yeah, this was definitely not going to be fun. She was sure Adam needed her for "River Deep, Mountain High." What else could it be about? She had thought she had already finished everything with it, but apparently she was still not good enough.

Naya's discomfort in the matter must have been clearly written on her face as she felt Heather's warm touch on her shoulder. Naya looked back at her and she suddenly noticed how the set was thinning out and cast members were leaving. The clenching fear of a confrontation was beginning to squeeze in her chest.

"You gonna be okay?" Heather asked knowingly.

Naya shrugged, but then nodded. "Yeah… can't really do anything about it, so might as well just get it over with."

"I could walk with you?" her blonde friend suggested with concern.

"No, no… it's honestly fine. Don't worry I can take care of myself around him," Naya said, trying to reassure herself more so than Heather. The blonde looked at her with worry. Mark never made her feel insecure with her actions like Heather did. She was quite confident that she would be able to handle herself; it was just an unpleasantly awkward situation she was trying to avoid.

"Okay, try to be nice? Call me tonight after and we'll hang out this weekend," Heather spoke with a smile.

"Sure, Hemo."

Naya tried to take her time gathering her things, hoping Mark would get the hint and start heading over to the music studio without her. But much to Naya's dismay, Mark waited till they were completely alone. Heather had even tried to dally behind as long as possible, trying to minimize the time Naya had to spend alone with him. Evidently he wanted to talk. When Heather clearly made her exit, sweetly saying goodnight to her two fellow cast mates, Mark made his move over to Naya.

Mark used to be one of Naya's closer friends on set and at the beginning she considered him as one of her best guy friends. Naya kinda knew that Mark had a thing for her, and apparently the rest of the cast did as well. So it was no surprise when they hooked up. She had never had the intention of getting involved with him or any of her cast mates for that matter. She wanted to limit the drama and just have a good time while furthering her career. But Heather screwed all that up. As she was so helplessly falling for her best friend, the blonde happily professed she was getting back together with some high school fling she never got over; this was of course Nate.

That's when things started to go terribly wrong and she suddenly found herself waking up topless in Mark's bed. Not wanting to make it a scandal and trying desperately to get over heartbreak from Heather, she agreed to go out with him. Naya told him that she wanted to keep things quiet, and he seemed okay with it because he never really complained. Their relationship lasted throughout the end of the first season, but they fell apart over the break which had caused more tension for the rest of the cast. Let's just say the breakup wasn't pretty. Naya felt bad for everyone else; she never intended it to be that way. So she tried her hardest to act like everything was normal because that's what she was best at. Maybe Mark wanted to be friends again. She would try, if that's what Mark really wanted.

She met him halfway as a civil gesture and smiled the best she could. She kindly acknowledged him, "Hey. You know you did really great today. Only four takes… I'd say that's pretty good compared to Cory yesterday, it took him four alone when they finally decided it would be best if he just didn't move at all—"

Naya tried to joke, referring to Cory's rendition of "Losing My Religion", when Mark rudely interrupted.

"Stop, Naya… You know I can't really stand small talk," Mark said somberly. Naya was taken aback. She fiddled with the draw string of her hoodie and stared down at her feet. _Try not to be awkward._

"Well, that's a new way to receive a compliment… Maybe a 'thanks Naya!' is a little more appropriate?" Naya tried to tease, achieving nothing. He just continued to stare at her blankly.

He licked his lips, shoved his hands in his pockets and said, "Yeah, thanks… I guess. The scene was probably just added in there as some lame excuse for me to sing a song…"

"Hey, come on. What's going on Mark?" she tried to again soothingly like she used to when they were friends, but things had changed so much.

"I really need to talk to you."

Heather was right… he was strangely moody.

"We are talking, Mark. You know I'm always around," Naya said trying to give an encouraging smile, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I miss you, okay?" Mark said, and it sounded like it took a lot of effort to do so. "I thought we were good together."

Naya's smile slowly slipped from her lips, realizing that the "maybe he wants to be friends" idea was out of the picture in this conversation. She had to be honest and say that she had been trying to avoid the topic with him for she really didn't want to relive those past months. They weren't exactly easy for Naya either. She examined him, and he genuinely looked heartbroken. Naya knew the look all too well, as she was reminded of the sight every time she saw her own reflection in the mirror.

"Why are you bringing this up now Mark? It's been over three months since we broke up."

"I just still don't understand why you had to go and fuck everything up..."

"Me? I fucked up? You are seriously mistaken," Naya said as the suppressed anger from their breakup started to bubble back up.

"Really, Naya? You were the one who ended it!" Mark accused.

"Of course I ended it! Mark, if anyone fucked up it was you. Do I have to remind you that you were the one who cheated on me?" Naya leered. He scoffed, looked up to the ceiling and shook his head angrily while biting his tongue. She could not believe how pathetic he was acting. She continued.

"What? So you think it's okay to go and sleep around when you're seeing someone? Maybe I was too traditional thinking we were exclusive. The whole cast knew during the break that you were fucking girls behind my back. Everyone knew except for me. I had to hear it from Chris. Did you know how embarrassing that was?" Naya's voice cracked on accident. She didn't mean to be so emotional about this, but it had been three months of misery. Mark finally looked at her and Naya glared him down. "So yah, I feel like I had reason to break up with you."

"Even before then, Naya… you never tried. You put everything before us. Whether it was Glee, your career… Heather. Fuck! Heather was always in the way. You always put her first. _Oh I can't hang out with my boyfriend because Heather wants to shop, Heather wants to have a girl's night in, Heather needs help finding cups, or Heather really needs a friend right now._ You might as well have been dating her!" Mark said, hands making angry gestures with every mention of Heather's name.

Naya was fuming. She hated Mark right now. She hated his arrogance and his selfish needs to be put first. Most of all she hated how he was right about Heather. Naya always dropped everything for her and it made her realize how pathetically in love she was. She took a deep breath in and swallowed before she started.

"Look, Mark… I'm sorry for what happened between us. I really am, but you have to understand that Heather is and always will be my best friend. You may not get it, but she's important to me… and quite frankly, she'll always come first in the end…" she started out with a strong voice, but it became weaker with every word as she spoke about Heather. It was like she was admitting it to herself. No matter what she did and how hard she tried, the Latina would never be able to rid her feelings for her best friend. Mark's head hung low in defeat and he wouldn't make eye contact with Naya.

"Sorry Mark… Chicks before dicks. Nothing more I can say," she said simply shrugging her shoulders. "Can we get over this now? It'll be hard but we can still make our friendship work," she said in attempt to try to patch things up.

"You're right…" Mark finally said. "I don't get it." Naya shook her head and sighed. Her head was starting to hurt from all of this. She didn't know how to make this better… Heather would know…

"You know you're going to lose," Mark continued.

Naya looked up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"With Heather. You'll never win. She loves her boyfriend too much. She'll always choose him over you."

It pained her to finally hear the words spoken allowed and she had to look away for a minute to hide the inevitable tears burning in the back of her eyes. She sucked in a breath and stared up at Mark with a hardened expression.

"That's fine. I honestly rather lose every time with Heather than be cheated on with you."

She quickly turned around and walked in a near sprint to the door. The dam holding the flood of tears was starting to crack.

Mark then painfully mumbled, "Fuck you."

Naya suddenly stopped, whisked around and shot back angrily, "Oh honey, we've been down that path before and to be honest sex with you is nothing to fuss about. Please, just… Just do me a favor and try not to bump into me again at the studio tonight."

With that she marched out the double doors of the set, leaving a rather pissed off but sulking Mark behind. She had never intended on hurting him and she didn't want to. She did miss his friendship, but it wasn't worth the putdowns he was throwing at her. If he wasn't going to change his attitude then Naya wasn't going to change her decision. Not for one second did she regret a word she said because Mark was wrong. She did try. She tried her fucking hardest to forget the girl that made her knees go weak, she just couldn't follow through. Leaving Mark has been her best choice she had made in a while. So now, for the first time in a long time, she felt a rush of the old Naya come back to her and God it felt good. Even though tears hung at her eyelashes, she was smiling with confidence.


	4. Chapter 4

Rating for this chapter: R

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint

Chapter 4

Naya was blindly running up and down her trailer, with her iPod blaring in her ears. She flailed her arms about and jumped on her couch like a little girl singing out proudly.

_And it gets stronger in every way  
>And it gets deeper let me say<br>And it gets higher day by day!_

_Do I love you my, oh my  
>River deep mountain high yeah, yeah, yeah!<br>If I lost you would I cry  
>Oh how I love you baby<br>Baby, baby, baby!_

She felt so elated as she had finally finished recording "River Deep, Mountain High". She had suffered through many weeks of vocal rehearsal, but after hearing the playback it all seemed worth it. Naya was now listening to the Tina Turner version as she mimicked the artist's arm movements when she performed. She was currently dressed in a white tailored pant suit, except she placed her blazer on her dresser chair because it started to get warm in the confined space. She had pinned up her hair on top of her head to be sure not to ruin the loose waves that Molly had so diligently curled. Naya had been working so hard on the Tina Turner song that she had to give herself at least a minute to relish her accomplishment. Even so, she should have been pumping herself up for filming the huge number that was coming closer by the second. That's right. In approximately one hour, sixteen minutes, and thirty-eight seconds, Britney Spears was going to be on set for the final shooting of "Me Against the Music". Naya couldn't be more excited to meet the icon she had worshiped her entire childhood.

The past few days on set have been surprisingly tolerable. They were just finishing up the last of the Grilled Cheesus episode; as of yesterday, the cast wrapped up "One of Us". Chris had some final scenes to do, but other than that the episode was pretty much complete. Now Naya and Heather were set aside a day to film "Me Against the Music", back tracking to the second episode Britney/Brittany. The producers could only arrange a certain three hour time block in order to accommodate with the star's schedule to film this portion of the episode. Thus they were filming this scene now. Everything else had already been finished. Life had been going well for the most part; as well as could be expected… Naya had been doing her best with controlling her urges around Heather and Mark was learning to keep his distance.

After the whole Mark spiel last week, Heather practically harassed Naya until she agreed to spend the night over at her apartment. Heather wanted to be sure everything was indeed as "fine" as Naya was texting her it was. Naya had vented, for the second time, about her emotional state during the breakup. It did feel wonderful not hearing about Nate all night long; as the dancer's complete focus was on her. Heather had kicked him out, telling him they needed a girl's night. Although, she wanted a night alone to mull things over about what had happened with her ex and her fighting feelings for her best friend, Naya was extremely grateful in the end that Heather kept her company. The blonde always had her magic way in curing her sadness and making Naya feel so loved.

So even though Naya hadn't mustered all the strength needed to fully say she was over Heather, she had accomplished to get back the normalcy of their close friendship. She absentmindedly spun around lopsidedly, almost falling on the couch. Naya spotted Harold and picked him up, beginning to tango around the room with him at the start of her favorite part of the song.

_When you were a young boy did you have a puppy  
>That always followed you around<br>Well I'm gonna be as faithful as that puppy  
>No I'll never let you down…<em>

She didn't give a fuck about how ridiculous she looked right then. Didn't she deserve a minute to let go a little? She stopped caring about technicality way back at the second bar as she now started to do ridiculous leg kicks and lunges, getting into her cheerleader character. Naya clapped her hands together and marched around the room, practically chanting through half of the bridge. Then she switched back to Tina Turner style and exaggeratedly shook her ass while riding the bull. Naya giggled lightly as she continued to sing. The simple joy of laughing at herself felt good… It was a feeling Naya hadn't felt in a long while.

_Do I love you my, oh my  
>River deep mountain high yeah, yeah, yeah!<br>If I lost you would I cry  
>Oh how I love you baby<br>Baby, baby, ba—_

Naya didn't finish wailing out the last note as she froze to the sound of familiar suppressed laughter.

Heather bouncily made her way over to her bestie's trailer. Her dangerously tall heels tapped loudly against the pavement. She was used to their balance by now as she had rehearsed several times with them for the number she was going to be doing in approximately one hour, twelve minutes, and fourteen seconds. She still could not believe this world she's been living in. Back up dancer, Heather Morris was about to meet and perform with Miss Britney Spears! Her mind still could not wrap around the whole situation.

She drifted back to the memory of when Ryan had sought her out after the end of one of their tours during the summer. His voice still echoed in her mind, "_You got Britney, Heather."_ Heather was so stunned, she couldn't really respond. All she could remember was trying to be as professional as she could as Ryan discussed the details. Afterwards is when her mind officially exploded and emotion after emotion poured out of her heart. She didn't even realize the tears that were quietly streaming down her face. The first person on her mind was Naya and she called her and told her the news first. Then the real tears started to shake out of her, and Naya stayed on the phone listening to her blubbering till the early hours of the morning. She was the only one who knew she cried that night.

Naya had been such a huge part of Glee and the rise in all this popularity. Naya _was_ Glee to Heather. She didn't know how she would have been able to do everything without her. She remembered the days during the beginning of the first season. She and Naya would lie on their backs in their trailer talking for hours on end about their dreams and making a living off of the things they loved best. She smiled at the memory. They worked so hard and now they were regulars on the show. It was more than they could both ever imagine. She still felt like the inexperienced dancer who just stepped in to teach the kids how to do the Single Ladies dance. Now she had a whole episode written around her talent.

She could not contain her cheeriness as she impatiently rapped on the door of Naya's trailer. Heather waited, fits of jitters running up and down her body. She knocked again. Nothing.

"Naya?" she tried, calling out her friend's name. Still nothing.

She huffed, but then listened closely… Heather's eyebrows furrowed as she leaned closer to the thin lining of the door. She could hear a faint, familiar voice wafting out the lyrics to a song. Heather then smiled curiously and tried the handle of the door. It was unlocked. Unlike her previous entrance into Naya's trailer, Heather slowly and quietly pushed the door open. Heather's smile grew even wider when her eyes came upon the most adorable thing she's swear she had ever seen in her life.

She was greeted by the lovely view of Naya Rivera's rear-end vibrating like a motor machine as she was singing out "River Deep, Mountain High". Heather's mouth hung slightly agape, as she couldn't help herself from eying up and down the Latina's curves. She hadn't noticed that she absentmindedly leaned against the doorframe, cocking her head a little to the left to get a better view. She swallowed, feeling slightly embarrassed that she was checking out her best friend. Heather had to avert her eyes away for a moment, but found herself immediately looking back up in temptation. She shook her head to snap herself out of it. _It's not like it's my fault or anything… Naya's ass was just right there in my face. It's not like I could ignore it… _Heather tried to reason to herself and she chuckled quietly at the outlandish thought that maybe... _No, it's not... It can't be. Don't be stupid._

Naya continued to dance around carefree. Not noticing the presence of the second party in the room. Heather had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from bursting into fits of laughter as she watched her friend do the goofiest dance moves. The dancer noted that Naya may not be technically sound or anything, but the effortless way she made every little move incredibly sexy was something Heather marveled at. Heather heard Naya giggle to herself and it made her smile even more to see her friend so relaxed. After Naya had jumped off the bull, she dangerously started to spin towards her dresser and Heather almost jumped in to catch her friend, but she eventually found her footing. She swiped up her hairbrush from the dresser and started to sing into it overdramatically. A smile tugged at the corners of Heather's lips into a ridiculous grin. Heather remembered doing that when she was twelve, but this was a "matured" twenty-three-year-old Naya here pretending to be a rock star. It was absolutely precious. Heather admired how she was still a child at heart; it was one of the many things the two shared in common.

It was when Naya went into the vicious head bobbing and hairography, when Heather couldn't contain the inevitable laughter that was bubbling in her throat. She desperately clamped her hand over her mouth, but the sounds ruptured anyways in the form of strangled wheezes. Through her fit, she gave a loud snort which only made Heather laugh louder. That's what did it.

The last notes stopped abruptly in the Latina's throat, coming out in crackled croaks. She spun around haphazardly, unsurprisingly knocking over some cosmetics on her dresser. Naya's eyes met with the beautiful blonde wonder and her cheeks immediately flushed from heat and embarrassment. Naya felt like a deer caught in head lights and stood there a little stunned, not knowing what to do with herself as she gazed upon her giggling friend. She looked down at her hand to realize she was still holding her hair brush and she quickly tossed it aside. She then hurriedly plucked out the ear buds of her iPod, music vanishing and leaving her head ringing slightly. Naya pulled at her white vest that had risen up sometime during her ridiculous recital and smoothed over any wrinkles. She annoyingly swiped and adjusted at the loose strands of waves that had billowed out of the pin on top of her head and then looked back up at Heather.

The dancer just stood there, arms across her chest, eyebrows raised, with the clear expression of amusement plastered on her face. That smile danced at her lips when she spoke.

"Oh no, no! Please don't stop for me! That was simply adorable…" Heather let the last part slip out on accident. _What was going on with her today? _So she covered up by saying, "I applaud you."

Heather clapped her gloved hands together as she beamed at her best friend. Naya's stiff posture slacked as she rolled her eyes, but smiled at Heather's sarcasm.

"Next time you should join me to teach me proper," Naya chided meaning it to be innocent, but as she replayed it in her mind all she could hear was the underlying innuendo. She mentally slapped herself.

Heather, thankfully, didn't seem to notice.

"You do know you're kinda practicing for the wrong episode? Anyways, you should definitely show Zach and Ryan some of those moves… Maybe it'll convince them to intertwine them into one of our next numbers," Heather chuckled out, still trying to recover.

"Ha ha… very funny," Naya said as she slipped a water bottle out of the fridge and took a large gulp.

"I guess that's a good warm up before performing."

"Yah, you should definitely try it sometime," Naya smiled. Heather smiled back as she completely let herself into the threshold, the door clicking shut behind her.

"Mhm… and I'll suggest it to Lea too. I know she'll love it. She's in need of a new warm up," Heather joked.

Naya had to do a double take on Heather's appearance. Her look made her almost splutter out her water. Just as Naya was, Heather was also dressed in her Britney/Brittany costume. She was currently missing the hat, but everything else looked exactly like Britney Spears in the original music video. Naya noted that Heather was way hotter than Britney ever was, even in her heyday. There was something about the way Heather looked in that iconic black suit with the blue collar that made Naya's mouth dry and made her southern regions clench. It was those hip bones that were jutting out from between her top and slacks that really did it. Naya's head was spinning and it certainly was not from her dancing. She thanked god she wasn't a guy because at that moment she wouldn't have been able to conceal anything.

Heather interrupted her thoughts as she continued to approach Naya.

"I heard you were amazing with 'River Deep, Mountain High.' Congrats…" was it just Naya or was Heather starring at her lips. "I know you hate when I say it, but I told you so," Heather lustrously drawled out.

"Uh…" she was sure she looked really stupid. Naya swallowed and cleared her throat. "Thanks, Hemo."

"So!" Heather was getting dangerously close. It was making Naya nervous. Naya felt extremely small compared to the towering, heel clad blonde as she was barefoot. Heather took the water bottle out of the brunette's hand and placed it on the nearest surface. She then intertwined their fingers together and began to swing both of their arms in the little space left between their bodies. Naya knew the gesture was friendly, but she blushed and looked away anyways.

Heather leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. Crystal, blue eyes swam with warm, chocolate brown. "You ready for today?" she had whispered in one breath and it tickled Naya's already tinged pink cheeks.

"You already saw my dorky warm up… this is as ready as I'll ever be," Naya tried to joke in order to distract herself from the nearness of Heather.

"We're going to be great. I just know it," Heather's smile was uncontrollable. "We've practiced this routine a million times… we will rock this shit."

Naya chucked. "Better than Britney?"

"Oh yah, Nay. _Way _better than Britney," Heather immediately confirmed.

She had hoped that their close proximity in the trailer was as near as Heather was going to be to Naya for the rest of the day. Then she remembered the choreography to the cane sequence and that hope was instantly smashed. Naya didn't know if she should consider herself lucky or unlucky. On one side, a very sexy Heather was being extremely touchy and flirtatious today, even outside the choreography. On the other side, Naya felt like she was about to die as a result from this, every moment the risk of blowing her composure was amplifying. Heather was getting a little too into character for Naya's taste, as it was definitely putting her on edge.

The two of them had already filmed their individual shots. That was the only time Naya could solely focus on her work when Heather wasn't dancing around her. She had felt confident when doing the sensual scenes. It didn't matter if she was rolling in a pile of leaves or flashing her crotch in front of an extra she just met. Things like that didn't bother her, in fact she thrived off of that. She thought it was fun. None of it fazed her like when she was in front of the camera with Heather that day. She felt naked when she was around the woman. _It's this Britney episode… that bitch. She's making this all ten times worse._ She was just trying to enjoy herself. When was she ever going to do something like this again? And with her best friend? Naya closed her eyes and gave herself a lecture to stay focused and savor the moment. She felt the pat of a gloved hand on her shoulder and she opened her eyes to meet blue ones.

The blonde beamed up at her, the contagious smile reaching to Naya's lips. The blonde's makeup was heavy in order to mimic Britney's look, and it made it hard for Naya to identify where Brittany S. Pierce stopped and Heather began. But then Heather's blue eyes would glow from her dark eyeliner and her face would light up into a bubbly grin. Then she knew it was Heather. Heather bobbed her head from side to side and bounced on the balls of her feet to pump herself up for their dance sequence ahead of them. The crew was setting up their cameras and making last adjustments on their makeup and hair. Extras and backup dancers were ready standing on their cues. Naya was nervously thrumming her fingers on her cane as she was counting out the steps again in her mind.

Naya's attention was suddenly stolen; as Heather bent down to reach her toes in a stretch. Her palms pressed flat on the floor with no effort. The dancer's flexibility amazed Naya. She couldn't believe she could lay her palms flat against the ground like that, and in heels! Of course Naya was taken by Heather's wonderfully rounded ass that was currently sticking up in the air. Naya was finally relieved from her torment when the blonde resurfaced and began stretching out her arms. _I swear she's doing this to me on purpose._

"Alright ladies, places please," Ryan spoke out to his two performers as he sat behind a camera in his director's chair.

Naya took her position behind Heather and slung her arm around her shoulder. Before Naya could put on her Santana face, Heather gave her wrist a squeeze and turned her head back to her. Naya breathed in honey and syrup. Their faces were literally centimeters apart and Naya could practically count the number of freckles still visible through Heather's makeup. She was suddenly aware of how close their lips were to brushing against each other's; it made Naya lick her pouty lips unconsciously. Heather smiled and turned back away, her face instantly channeling back to Brittany or Britney.

"Okay, from the top of the choreography please everyone. Action!"

The music blared and Naya began to sing along with the recording of her and Heather. They went through the choreography and Naya put as much of herself, while including an ample amount of Madonna finesse into her movements as possible. She had studied the music video on YouTube several times in order to prepare herself for the number, but she still wanted to make this their own. Naya surprised herself by keeping up with Heather. However, it didn't last too long. The choreography reached the point where Heather's backside was currently writhing up and down Naya's front. That's when Naya's mind went completely blank, making her forget where her feet were. Her mind scrambled to catch up as she dipped down with Heather, but she couldn't spin around fast enough. She fumbled with the cane causing it to clank to the floor out of reach.

"Cut," Ryan said.

"Good going, Nay," Heather said lightheartedly with a smile. Naya blushed and looked to her apologetically. She had to pull herself together.

"Okay, go again from the start."

The music picked up again, but Naya's brain was still scattered about and she continued to fall behind. _Why the fuck did this have to happen now? _Naya pleaded helplessly. She started counting the steps in her head and just went back to the basics. By take three, Naya was simply going through the motions, trying to not focus on Heather and to focus on making it through the whole number. Hand here, foot there… spin, then step and one, two, three. Thrust cane, pull up Heather and—

"Cut, cut… You're almost there ladies. You two are doing great. Heather fantastic, but Naya you're getting a little stiff. Don't worry about the choreography too much. I can see the focus too much on your face. I want that beautiful face of yours to shine through on camera! Relax a bit okay?" Ryan directed to the two of them, more so to Naya.

Naya nodded curtly. She swallowed and swiped at the forming sweat at her hairline. One of the tech guys started pointing something out to Ryan and he diverted his attention away from the cast members, giving them all a breather. Heather took Naya's shoulders and turned her around so that their eyes locked. Naya had a rush of déjà vu from when they had been in this exact position in the tin shed all those years back. When Naya first realized she was in love with her best friend… when she had lost all control over herself.

Heather gently squeezed, "Hey, come on, Nay. Relax. You know you do better when you're loose…"

Naya's annoyance with herself and with Heather's ability to so easily make her weak was starting to build up. _What does she know about when I work best? _

"Stop. I know, Heather," she said with hint of sharpness in her voice. She brushed off Heather's touch.

Heather furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't be like that, Nay," she spoke, hurt.

"Okay, ready everyone? Places, and… action!"

Heather instantly snapped back into character while Naya continued to struggle with her emotions. She was trying to keep her frustration in, but the more she moved the more Heather and everything was getting to her. She knew this choreography. They had practiced it nonstop because Naya demanded to perfect it. The fact that she knew it so well pissed her off even more knowing it was Heather that was making her forget it all. She pushed through the routine, however messy it may have been, but they were almost to the end. Suddenly, there was a high pitched squeak of a miss placed foot against the slick floors. Naya could hear the thud of a body hit the ground. She immediately stopped and looked behind her. Heather had suddenly disappeared from her side and had rushed to a fallen backup dancing scowling in pain as he clutched at his ankle.

"Okay, okay… stop. Is everything okay?" Ryan asked worriedly and he got up to approach the fallen dancer.

Naya watched the commotion around her, greatly concerned for the injured man on the floor. A couple crew members had rushed in next to Heather and the dancer's partner to examine his wound. Heather comforted her friend, while she elevated his leg and the crew members examined his ankle. She nodded her head carefully and spoke in hushed tones. The blonde dancer was well educated on the topic of injury and Naya knew she would be able to help. The two crew members finally lifted up the dancer onto his feet and shuffled him off set. Ryan walked with him patting him on the shoulder and giving him words of encouragement.

"Alright everybody… let's just take five while we go check out Tanner's injury."

Naya, distraught from the situation and from her inability to cope with her feelings she flew off set, not really wanting to be followed. Heather was speaking with Jenny, Tanner's partner, calming her down and telling her that none of it was her fault. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of white escaping off the set. Confused and wanting answers to her friend's odd behavior, Heather followed.

Naya found a quiet spot off to the side and she began pacing it with frustration. She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. _Fuck! You're being so overdramatic. Just get over yourself!_ She stopped pacing and threw the cane over her shoulders, resting both her arms over it. She let out an exasperated sigh. _This is just getting ridiculous._ Naya could hear the growing sound of clicking stiletto heels. She knew it was Heather.

Heather approached her in a half-jog and said in a breathy voice, "Hey, Nay… What's going on?"

"It's nothing Heather… I'm fine," Naya couldn't handle the vulnerability anymore, she was about to snap. "I just need some space."

"Okay… Yah, yah. I hear you. Tanner rolled his ankle and his condition may be pretty bad. Things were getting a little tight in there…"

"No, Heather," Naya stopped her sharply. "I need space from you."

Heather had sucked in a breath, but held it in. She looked surprised as the realization of Naya's words punched her in the gut. She looked hurt and confused and Naya hated that, but she had had enough. Naya had even been surprised by her own bluntness in the situation. She never thought she had it in her to speak to Heather in that way.

"Oh…" Heather finally managed out. She opened her mouth to speak again, but just closed it and let out a long sigh. She looked to Naya sadly. "Nay, what did I do?"

"Heather you… you just… I-I just can't deal with this right now," Naya spluttered out in aggravation. She slipped the cane back off her shoulders and leaned on it as if she were exhausted. But she was exhausted. She was so tired of the teasing and the tormenting.

Heather looked down and bit her lip, thoroughly confused. "I'm sorry. I don't get what's wrong, Nay, but whatever I'm doing I'm sorry."

"That's exactly the thing Heather! You don't know! You don't know what the hell you're doing to me!" Naya almost shouted. Wow, this was happening right now. It of course had to happen today at this moment, when Britney fucking Spears was going to be walking onto the set in another forty-five minutes.

"Nay, just… j-just tell me. I'll stop I swear," Heather looked so scared.

"You're just…" Naya paused and tried to choose her words carefully. "I feel like you're acting too close lately. I mean I know that's how we were before, but it's different now…" she wished she could have just said it right then. _Just blurt it out Naya!_ "I don't know… You're just always touching, and hugging, and holding my hand, especially today. But it's not like it used to be anymore. It's all… overwhelming." Naya hoped she understood, most importantly she couldn't tell her the complete truth yet. Not here anyway.

"You're right…" Heather agreed sadly. "I'm sorry, Nay. I have been acting weird lately I know. It's just… when you shut me out for those three weeks it had honestly been the worst three weeks of my life. I thought it was because I was the one to put space between us. I don't want that to happen again, so I did the opposite… I guess I've been too clingy… I'm so, so sorry if I annoyed you."

Heather's eyes were downcast and her normal straight posture was hunched. Naya sighed and her normal self was starting to come back. She was starting to realize that none of it really was Heather's fault. How should she know what she was putting Naya through? It was wrong of her to accuse Heather of doing so. She knew that they were going to be needed back on set soon.

"Hey… Heather," the blonde looked back up at Naya. "Just… just forget what I said. Everything is fine. It wasn't your fault, you were just being a good friend and I… well I was being a bitch about it like normal." That got a smile out of her.

"Yeah, well, it certainly doesn't help when you get frustrated with work. You get more Santana-like. And I gotta say, I like Naya better."

Naya gave a small chuckle. "Sorry, it's just the pressure made me overreact I guess," Naya tried to make up an excuse.

"Hm… Naya, I want you to know from now on that whatever I say and do, I never do to try to frustrate you or hurt you. I do it because I love you," it scared Heather a little this time how easy those three words slipped from her lips. "Okay?"

Naya simply nodded. Then she thought to herself. It was now or never right?

"I know we don't have much time right now, but…" Naya paused to give herself the courage to go forth and do this, "after, I really need to tell you something."

"Anything Naya…" Heather smiled at her gently. She then hesitantly reached out her hand and took Naya's lightly in her own. "Now… let's go kill this number. No more excuses, Rivera. I want you to eat it up."

Naya smiled and followed Heather back to the set.

When they had come back on set, they were notified that Tanner's injury turned out to be only minor, but that he would have to sit out for a couple weeks. Everyone seemed to be relieved by the news and a stand-in came to fill in the spot with Jenny. After her conversation with Heather, Naya was starting to feel a little more reassured with her actions. Naya could tell that Heather was starting to second guess her friendly affection around her, but she could also tell she understood. At least she hoped she did. Before Ryan called out action, Heather gave Naya a warm, genuine smile. That's all Naya needed in order to know things would be okay; they just needed time. Of course, she had no clue how she was going to go about telling Heather how she felt, but she had this odd light buzz in her brain. Knowing that she was about to come clean, somehow, encouraged Naya forward. The fact that she had regained some sense of control over the situation brought relief to the Latina. She had to be honest, she was surprised how she felt about the whole thing. Naya was finally pulling herself together and by their second take they "killed" the number.

The two were extremely happy with the way they wrapped up the scene. Something had ignited between the two of them that Naya couldn't really put a finger on, and it lit up the entire set. There was something different in Heather's movements and the way that she locked her eyes with the Latina that seemed to drive each other forward. They were completely feeding off of each other to the point where they weren't dancing separately, but as one. Naya was on a runner's high. If this is how Heather felt every time after a performance, she understood why she was so bubbly crazy.

The two gave Ryan high-fives as they exited the set for their short break. Heather, being herself, absentmindedly embraced Naya into a celebratory hug. She could tell Naya was cautious as she had instinctively stiffened by Heather's gesture. She inevitably relaxed into Heather's arms, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her nose into her shoulder, surrounding herself in honey and maple syrup. Naya was confusing Heather. She really had no clue what the hell was going on in the brunette's brain. One minute they're happy and giggly, the next Naya is stuttering a whole bunch of nonsense and pushing Heather away. Naya's bouncing emotions was making Heather's emotions sling around too. She desperately wanted to know what was on the Latina's mind.

Heather finally broke contact, "Oh God! That was so fucking amazing! I told you we were going to be way epically hotter than Madonna and Britney ever were." Heather was bounding with excitement and Naya mirrored her emotion, to a lesser extent.

"I know... We were really great. You were great. Perfect even… I was just following you the whole time," Naya said with a smile.

"Are you kidding me?" Heather looked at her as if she had three heads. "I think you are mistaken. I was feeding off of you the entire number. You had the lead, missy. Guess that warm up of yours really did do somethin'."

Naya smiled, shook her head, and looked down at her beige heels.

"Don't be modest now," Heather joked.

"The only reason I danced that way was because of you… It was your voice counting the beats for me in my mind from practice," Naya said sincerely. "I'm sorry… again. I mean it, Hemo. I didn't mean to snap like that, I—"

"No… God… we gotta stop doing this stuff to each other. Communication, Nay. We really need to practice that. I'm sick of all of this apologizing," Naya nodded in agreement while Heather spoke. "Let's start now, yeah? What was it that you need to tell me?"

Heather had held out her open palms, asking for permission to hold Naya's hands. Naya accepted. Heather's piercing blue eyes deeply searched Naya's as if trying to read her mind. Naya was suddenly getting nervous. _Don't get cold feet now… You can do this. You _need_ to do this…_ She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in.

She looked the blonde straight in the eyes, "Heather, I—"

Naya's face suddenly fell and she dropped Heather's hands. The blonde looked at her confused. Heather felt strong arms encircle her waist and a familiar set of lips press against her neck. She was looking at Naya the whole time, the brunette biting her lower lip. Naya read Heather's face and she swore she saw a glimmer of disappointment in her eyes before turning around happily in the embrace.

"Nate!" Heather's arms flung around her boyfriend's neck, reciprocating the hug. She chastely pecked him on the lips. Naya wanted to gag herself… "Y-You're here? What are you doing here?"

"You did invite me, remember Hemo?" Nate said giving a low chuckle. Naya hated the way Heather's nickname rolled off his tongue. _Oh how he was just so fucking charming…_ Naya thought. She gripped the handle of her cane till her knuckled turned white. She started counting the number of ways she could use her cane as a weapon…

"Yah… Yah, no, I know, but you told me you couldn't make it because you had an interview at the same time today," Heather spoke questioningly.

Nate tried to avert his eyes away from his girlfriend for a moment and embarrassingly said, "I did… but it didn't turn out as well as I hoped. Job just wasn't right for me. So instead I decided to come down here and surprise you. You two were amazing, seriously. I only caught the last two takes, but my god… definitely filing that picture in my mind for later use…"

Naya grimaced and Heather playfully punched him the ribs.

"Okay! Okay! I get it… I've gotta tell you though I would have been here earlier, but it took me forever to get through security here… They were pretty intense."

Naya had to suppress a snort.

"Well… it certainly is a surprise!" Heather said awkwardly. Naya furrowed her eyebrows curiously.

"Oh…" Heather suddenly turned around and slipped out of Nate's grasp, but he just slung his arm over her shoulder. "Nate, you remember Naya…"

"Of course! How can I forget about the best friend?" he said cheerily, giving her an award winning smile. He held out his hand and Naya shook it gingerly, trying to smile the best she could. "Heather can't shut up about you. She talks about you all the time."

Heather glared at her boyfriend and then looked back to Naya. For a moment, Naya thought Heather looked a little nervous.

Naya gave a fake laugh, "I can say the same about you."

"Oh gosh, I hope it's only good things." More fake laughter.

Heather then suddenly realized. "Oh, Nate. We were actually having a conversation before you came in…"

But Naya stopped her, "Oh, no… don't worry about it. It was really nothing." Naya smiled, trying to shake the topic off. It was certainly not nothing though…

"No, Nay. It sounded important… I—"

"Really. It's okay, Heather. It was no big deal."

"Hey, if you guys need time… honestly I can just wait—" Nate tried, but Naya interrupted him as well.

"Nope. It's honestly fine. It's… it's nothing that can't wait," Naya reassured, smiling at the couple. But could it really wait? All this shit continued to bubble inside Naya.

Heather simply stared at her with the familiar look of confusion and worry.

"Hey Heather! Hey Naya! Hi… who are you?" Roy, the runner, said jogging up to them.

"Hi, I'm Nate. Heather's boyfriend," he said giving a strong handshake, sending jolts through Roy.

"Right… Hi… Heather, Britney will be here in five and we need you to prep for your guys' scene. So Ryan wants you back over in a few."

"Okay, thanks Roy," Heather spoke sweetly. He beamed at her and walked off attending to another errand. "Guess, that's my cue."

"Yeah, I'm excited for you, babe" Nate said turning Heather back to face him. "You're gonna be ridiculously hot compared to Britney." He smiled that lame, cheesy ass smile. He closed the space between them, lips meeting in a slow, sensual kiss. Naya rolled her eyes.

She counted for fifteen seconds and when they still hadn't resurfaced, Naya coughed out uncomfortably. Yup, fifteen seconds was all she could tolerate of their lip smacking. Heather pushed his chest away gently, breaking the kiss. She turned her head to the side as her eyes searched for Naya and she unconsciously bit her lip. Nate was doing the opposite as he licked his, relishing the taste of Heather's lip gloss.

Heather wiggled out of Nate's arms for the second time that day and spoke out breathlessly, "Okay, I'll be back in a few. You two don't go anywhere."

"Oh I don't think either of us would miss Britney for the world," Nate said on both their behalf and Naya started to examine how sharp the end of her cane was again.

Heather simply smiled as she briskly strut back onto set, leaving Naya alone with the only person in the world she was sure she had ever truly hated.


	5. Chapter 5

I Am The Liar and You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 5<p>

Two pairs of eyes watched longingly as the blonde dancer who stole their hearts walked back to the set. Naya rubbed at her eyes in frustration, and then mentally cursed herself as she examined the large amount of eye shadow that collected on her fingertips. She hated it when that happened. She had been so close, literally. If she just had at least five more minutes she would have been able to tell Heather everything she's been burying inside her… about how much she loved the girl. But of course she couldn't have the least bit of satisfaction. Nope, this damn idiot with that ridiculous smile on his face that made him look like he had smoked one joint too many just had to interrupt right when Naya was about to pour her heart out.

_ I guess it seems about right… Nothing ever seems to work out anyways. I should have expected something like that to happen_. Naya's thoughts were berating her mind, pulling herself into a deeper, darker turmoil. Naya hadn't been one to really believe in all those metaphors and proverbs about love and how it physically made you feel pain, but Heather had convinced her otherwise. The brunette put her hand over her pounding heart as her chest was clenching in anxiety. She let out a long strangled sigh. She felt like a can of soda that had been shaken up too much. All this building pressure was about to make her explode. Then she remembered where she was and who she was standing next to… and it all just made her head throb more painfully.

"Long day, huh? I gotta say, it must be tough… I really don't know how you guys manage to do this every day. It's just crazy. I know I couldn't handle all the pressure, I would explode," Nate chuckled as he did that stupid, guy head nod to a passing crew member. Nate had a recognizably deep voice, which rumbled from his throat. Speaking about exploding…

Naya looked over to the man that had stolen her love's heart. Her eyes saddened as she examined the sight of him. He was perfect, even though Naya hated to admit it. She knew why Heather loved him so much and why she tried so hard to keep their relationship from falling apart. He was a nice guy, who obviously took interest in his appearance. _I guess he can be attractive to some people…_ Nate was tall. Not just average tall, but almost super-human tall. He had to be tall if he wanted to date Heather because the girl had legs for days. He was probably around the same height as Cory, maybe a couple inches shorter, but not awkwardly gangly. He filled out his height in all the right places. Nate had broad shoulders and strong arms. Naya noted they weren't as nice as Mark's, but they were more like swimmer's arms. He was definitely a pretty boy as he wore washed out jeans and one of those spiffy looking baby blue stripped, button-up shirts. But it all looked sloppy. His shirt was not ironed and a few of the top buttons were of course undone. To top of his ensemble, a black tie was messily strung under his loose collar. He looked like a bad walking ad from Tommy Hilfiger or something and Naya desperately hoped that wasn't what he was wearing to his interview today. It reminded her of what her brother used to wear in high school when he went through the whole jock, prepster phase. Definitely not professional or mature for that matter.

Nate rubbed his hand against the back of his head, smoothing down his perfectly spiked russet hair. Naya leaned her head a little to the right and pursed her lips. Nate kinda reminded Naya of an unsophisticated version of Michael Bublé, except without the voice. It was as if the guy struggled to outgrow his teenage years. It looked like he had tried, but failed miserably at maturing completely… but then again Heather was still so young and hopeful at heart. More the reason why the two were so perfect for each other, and it made Naya's heart clench tighter. Most importantly, Nate had a pair of comforting, blue eyes. They weren't like Heather's, which were more like droplets of shimmering sapphires. No, Nate's eyes reflected that of a deep, dark pooling ocean on a warm, sunny day. Naya had to admit that they were probably his best feature. He had a strong jaw line and a light spray of stubble that covered his chin. His lips were a light pink, slightly chapped and were of course spread into that ever-growing smile. It was a little weird… When Naya squinted her eyes just right she swore he and Heather could have easily been confused as being brother and sister or something. She wanted to gag at the thought of sibling incest. She shook her head and blinked a couple times to snap out of it. Nate was the definition of the golden, all-American boy. It really did hurt thinking of how picture perfect the two were together. Naya thought how Heather's relatives would swoon when they received their Christmas card from the happy couple. She could only dream of sending Christmas cards with Heather…

"Mhm… it's really been a _long_ day…" Naya finally answered back.

"I could only imagine. Heather comes home every night and just collapses on the couch. She could probably sleep for days there if I don't wake her up to move her to the bed…" Naya hated any combination of words that consisted of 'Heather' and 'bed' that left Nate's mouth. Nate turned to Naya, "I respect you guys so much for doing what you do. You don't get enough credit."

"Yeah… right. You should try telling that to Ryan for us," Naya scoffed sarcastically. Nate chuckled.

"Honestly though. I tell Heather every day… she's really something isn't she?" Nate said admiringly as he watched his girlfriend at work from afar. Naya looked at Nate, the clear expression of awestruck love written all over his face.

She spoke sadly and more to herself, "Yeah… she certainly is." Nate smiled proudly and it made Naya oh so jealous. "You're lucky to have her."

"I know. I tell myself that every morning when I wake up and see her face."

_Again… phrases or references with 'Heather' and 'bed' are not greatly accepted._ Naya moved off to the side to get out of the way of the crew members bustling around the set. She plopped herself down in one of the director-style chairs assembled for cast members and set aside her cane. She did not expect Nate to follow and sit in a similar chair off to the left of her.

"I don't want this to sound awkward or anything…" Naya had grabbed a nearby water bottle and was in mid-drink when Nate had begun to speak. "But I really wanted to thank you."

Naya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, eyes looking at her enemy curiously. Her bottle was still pressed to her lips.

He continued, "When Heather and I… well you know in the past our relationship wasn't easy. It was hard doing long distance while I was still in Arizona, and I'm sure you may think I broke her heart a couple times…"

Naya had to refrain from snorting out her water, as she finally screwed the lid back on. Hell yeah, Nate broke her heart. A couple times was a total understatement. Naya could remember how much it pained her to see Heather blubber helplessly over some guy she left back home who did nothing but argue with her.

"But I'm sure you understand that relationships aren't ever perfect. What I'm trying to say is Heather told me while I was away that you were the one that was always there for her. Even though you may think I'm a doosh-bag for coming back and then leaving her time after time, it means a lot that you still supported her getting back together with me… Though I'm sure you think I don't deserve her. It took me that time away from her to realize how much I do need her in my life. She told me you helped her learn to forgive me. I really do thank you, because I don't know what I would do without her."

Naya didn't know what to say to that, or how to feel for that matter. Should she feel proud for being a good friend? Or should she feel broken for unknowingly helping the girl she loved get back together with her high school sweet heart? She came to the conclusion that she hated herself. She hated herself for letting her feelings come this far, knowing all of it was just false hope. It was painfully obvious now. Nate and Heather were meant to be, there wasn't much Naya could do about it. She couldn't believe how selfish she had been even merely thinking of stealing Heather away from the happiness of a normal relationship with such a standup guy. The thing was, Nate did deserve her… so much more than Naya did. Naya never had the chance.

"Yeah…" Naya could barely manage out. "I mean… no. Wait, what I mean to say is…" Naya looked into Nate's warm, blue eyes, "You don't have to thank me... It's honestly what any friend would do."

Nate smiled. "No. It's not actually… A lot of girls would say 'the guy is a complete asshole, you should totally dump him because you can do so much better'. I'm pretty sure Ashley did; I can tell from the glares she gives me every night before we go to bed… But in this case it's actually true. Heather is so much better than me, but I love her to death."

_That makes two of us._

"You really do love her…"

"With all of my heart," Nate said happily.

"Good. She deserves someone like you… Someone who can give her everything," Naya tried to speak with a smile, but sadness ebbed in her voice.

Nate let out a little laugh of relief which took Naya by surprise. "Sorry I'm being such a sap… I swear I'm normally not like this."

Naya smiled warmly.

"I gotta say, I am so happy that I'm cool with the best friend… I'm sure that earns some bonus points right?"

Naya raised her eyebrows at the statement, "Sure."

Naya found it incredibly hard to hate the guy. She wished she could, but like she had said before… he was just so good for Heather. The way he was grounded reassured Naya that her best friend was in the arms of a man that would take care of her. It was something that she would never have been able to properly do. So Naya would try. She would try her best to make friends with the person who made her life hell. She knew it would be what Heather wanted.

"So how have you been liking L.A.? You've been here for about four months now?"

"Five actually… but I didn't officially move all my things until about four months ago. L.A. has been… interesting. Definitely different from Scottsdale, Arizona," Nate chuckled out painfully.

"Yeah… it is a transition."

"Oh yeah… I mean everyone told me it was going to be hard, but of course I didn't take them seriously…"

"Have you found a job yet?" Naya spoke out before she could restrain herself. She didn't mean to pry, but you couldn't blame the girl for being curious.

"Uh…" Nate said, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry… It's none of my business. It was rude of me to pry—"

"No, no… It's okay. Believe me, my parents are much worse," Nate gave a little laugh at himself. Naya smiled at his modesty. "They keep pestering me, 'Nathan? How is it that you don't have a job yet young man? Do you even know what you want to do with your life now that your baseball career is over? Did we not teach you responsibility or has that blonde pixie completely scrambled your sense of judgment?'" The two both laughed at his impersonation.

"My parents were very skeptical about me moving out here to such a 'big city'… It's not like Scottsdale was even that small, but I guess they were just trying to be realistic. I haven't found anything yet… but I'm still looking around."

"Do you regret it?" again Naya could not help herself from asking. It was like she had no filter today.

"Well…" Naya was surprised by his hesitancy. "I do miss home, I won't lie. And now I've come to realize that it is quite difficult living with two women. I didn't really know that also came with the package… it's so Three's Company it's ridiculous. But would I go back and change anything? Never… because I would do it all over again for Heather," Nate said smiling towards his girlfriend. Naya simply nodded understandingly.

No matter what Naya seemed to throw at this guy, Nate would always have the right answer. There was absolutely no way she could see any crack or fault in this flawless man that sat next to her. It was a little scary _how_ perfect he was. _No one can be this perfect…_ Naya thought to herself.

Both of their heads turned to the sound of a small commotion to their right. A little cluster of people surrounded one, Britney Spears clad in the same attire Naya was in as she made her way on set. Naya's eyes instantly sought out Heather at a distance and their eyes met. Heather was giddy with excitement. Naya couldn't be any more taken with the blonde and smiled with happiness to see her friend so thrilled. Heather's nose crinkled in that adorable way when her grin was too big and Naya gave her the thumbs up sign. Heather returned the gesture. Nate, still staring at Britney, finally focused on his girlfriend and waved encouragingly. Heather gave a small wave back.

When Britney and her entourage walked pass the two of them, the star did a double take on Naya as she realized the two of them were wearing the same outfit and smiled. Naya gave a shy wave, and friendly said, "Hey, Britney!"

"Hey!" Britney said breathily and gave Naya a brilliant smile. She continued by and sat a little further away from them in a director's chair.

Naya couldn't really believe that had just happened. She had just spoken to Britney Spears. It was insane! Naya felt like the star wasn't even really there and that she was just some magical hologram.

"Holy crap! That… Now, that really is Britney Spears!" Nate spoke to Naya under his breath.

"I know, right?" Naya giggled, forgetting for a second who she was sharing this moment with.

"That is… that is just awesome. I'm lost for words," Nate said obviously star struck. "I can't believe you guys get to do this."

"That makes two of us, man… All of this is still so new to me," Naya said still getting over the presence of the celebrity. She was so ecstatic being in the same room as her, she couldn't even fathom how Heather was feeling at the moment. Then again, this was Heather Naya was talking about. Heather always had this magical way of being so personable and calm around special guests. She was such a people person, she always enchants everyone she meets. Even if she were excited, it wouldn't show. The two watched as everyone prepared for the scene. Britney and Heather took their places and Ryan was giving them some directions before they started filming.

"Wow… this _is_ a completely different world from Scottsdale, Arizona," Nate confirmed as he watched his girlfriend interact with the star.

"Definitely. Life here, well, there's nothing else quite like it," Naya agreed.

"Yeah, people here are pretty different. Except you," Nate said turning to Naya. "You're actually really chill. Heather of course says nothing but wonderful things about you… but you definitely live up to the picture she painted out for me."

Naya smiled, and couldn't help but blush. She savored the thought of Heather speaking so highly of her. "I can't imagine Heather saying anything bad about anyone."

"Yah… that's pretty true," Nate agreed. "But really Naya… You're a good person. You've done so much for Heather. If you don't take it from me, then you at least have to be convinced by what Heather says. 'Cause I know she always sees people for who they truly are. So, that just confirms that you gotta be the most amazing thing that's happened to Heather's life."

Nate was gleaming up at Naya. Naya opened her mouth to speak, to tell him she was anything but this perfect person that he was building her up to be. She was far from perfect. She was in love with his girlfriend for christsake. If he knew that, then he would take away everything he just said. She wanted to say something, anything to contradict his belief that she was so amazing. Naya didn't want him to go about believing she was something she wasn't, but she was cut off before she could even try.

"Everyone! Please, quiet on set! We are now rolling," Ryan exclaimed to the entire set and everything instantly hushed.

Naya's voice was silenced and she was forced to hold in all those words and emotions once again. She just watched everything before her, letting the world pass her by.

It didn't take Heather and Britney long to finish the scene, it was only about fifteen seconds anyways. After two takes, they were pretty much done, however, Ryan made them do one more just for good measure. Ever since Nate made his surprise appearance on set, Heather cautiously watched him and her best friend interact for the rest of the day. She didn't know why she felt the need to make worried glances every thirty seconds. The whole time Nate wasn't talking to Naya, his eyes would wander about the set in awe. Heather smiled at her boyfriend's naïve reaction to the 'Hollywood' feel about the studio.

When Heather looked over to Naya, her expression reflected the opposite. Her eyes were downcast with every word that Nate said and whenever she did manage a brief smile or a slight laugh, Heather could tell it was all forced. The blonde couldn't help but let her mind ponder on what her best friend so desperately needed to tell her. It seemed so important moments ago, but then Naya brushed it aside as if it were nothing. It's true, Naya was being more than confusing right now, but Heather knew that _something_ was bothering her.

Ryan called it a wrap, and Heather tried to quickly sneak off to talk to Naya.

She tried making her way over, but found herself trapped by her shorter, bald superior. "Oh whoa there, missy. I know you so desperately want to go to your boyfriend over there, but unfortunately we need to do some press shoots. Believe me, I want my lunch break as much as you do," Ryan said with a wink. Heather simply nodded solemnly and Ryan took her shoulder, leading her in the opposite direction.

Heather turned her head back only to see Nate sitting alone.

It felt like it took hours for them to finish doing all the press photos with Britney, but Heather remained poised and tried to express enthusiasm. When they had officially finished everything, Heather thanked Britney again and told her how honored she was to work with her.

"Oh no, honey, I should be thanking you! You guys have all been so kind to me. It's been a pleasure being part of the show." Britney embraced the taller blonde once again, showing her appreciation.

"And… I gotta say you are extremely lucky to have such a supportive little fan club over there," Britney said nodding her head back to where Nate was sitting. "What you two have is sincerely precious."

"Oh, thank you…" Heather said simply, staring down at her feet.

"You bet! I mean I only caught a little bit of what you two filmed on the play back… But I gotta say, you guys really hit it hard. It was super-hot. I know Madonna will be proud too."

Heather's head snapped back up at the realization that Britney Spears was in fact talking about her and Naya. She couldn't help her eyes from gaping a little wider than normal.

"I'll be in contact with y'all to see how everything works out! Best wishes!" Britney said as she headed towards the exit.

"Bye Britney!" Heather's voice was still a little shaky.

Heather stood rooted to the spot. She felt a little dizzy, awestruck, and mostly confused by what just happened. She didn't realize that her boyfriend had come up and pulled her into a hug.

"That was the most awesome thing ever! You were amazing…" he mumbled into her hair. Heather didn't say anything.

"I don't know about you, but I think you should try to take this costume home… I think it may come to be of great use sometime in the near future," Nate said waggling his eyebrows up and down at her.

Heather let out a breathy laugh. She didn't notice that she had been holding the air back in her lungs. "Yeah… that's an idea… Too bad the costume department would kill me."

"I was just joking, Heather. It was just some wishful thinking."

"Oh… yah I know."

"You okay, babe?" Nate pulled her back a little and looked down at her seriously.

"Yah, I'm fine. I guess I'm kinda in a little shock right now from all that adrenaline… It was all a rush you know? Like how you felt after a game?"

Heather couldn't help, but notice a glint of sadness in Nate's eyes at the mention of his lost passion. "Of course. It's understandable."

He leaned his head against hers. Heather breathed in the scent of Nate. He smelt musky along with the heavy mixture of spice and mint. Her lower lip curled in a very minute, unnoticeable frown. It was odd, but Heather felt like she was missing something. It felt weird being the shorter one…

"Should we get lunch?" Nate spoke in a caring whisper. "We can just do something small."

Heather closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah… just lemme go change and I'll meet you at the parking lot. Do you think you can find my car?"

"Yah. If anything I could just ask one of the gazillion security guards out there," he said with a chuckle as Heather turned to make her way towards the exit. She smiled at his humor.

"Okay. I'll see you in a few then." Before she could hurry off to see Naya, Nate took her arm gently.

"I love you… You know that right?" Nate stared into Heather's eyes deeply.

Heather swallowed unconsciously. "Of course. I love you too, Nate."

Nate smiled that huge, goofy smile and leaned down to quickly brush his lips against Heather's. Heather smiled back and continued her path to Naya's trailer. For some reason, guilt was starting to build in every step.

Heather reached Naya's trailer for the second time that day, but this time with a different purpose. She felt determined to settle everything between the two of them and try desperately to get things back to normal. All these other feelings she couldn't put a finger on were really starting to freak her out. She easily opened the door and briskly let herself in.

"Nay—" Heather stopped dead in her tracks.

"Shit!"

Heather had to blink several times and clamp her hanging jaw shut. She swallowed the large lump that had formed in her throat. She simply could not prevent herself from letting her eyes linger over the sight in front of her. Naya stood by her dresser clad in nothing, but a pair of extremely short, navy blue track shorts. She was tightly clutching her cream vest against her chest for dear life. When Heather had opened the door, Naya had jumped almost letting the vest she was removing slip from her hands. Heather was pretty sure during the commotion she saw a flash of perfectly, full breasts and perky nipples. The blonde clenched her jaw and her pale cheeks stained pink from the quick peak she had gotten. She unconsciously chewed at her lip, and was searching her brain frantically for words to form an explanation. The situation simply doubled the anxiousness she had carried over from earlier on set.

After getting over the initial shock, Naya instinctively fumed from the invasion of her privacy. If she was planning on getting naked in front of Heather anytime soon, this was not the way she would have wanted it to happen. In her mind both of them were unclothed.

"Heather?" Naya said awaiting some sort of response from the blonde. "Is knocking not in your repertoire today?"

"I-I…uh… Oh god, oh god…" Heather tried to speak out, but she fumbled miserably with her words.

"Fuck! Close the door!" Naya angrily gestured with one of her hands, which was a mistake as her vest teased lower, almost flashing Heather again. Heather absentmindedly turned quickly and clicked the door shut.

"I swear to god I locked that fucking door this time!" she cursed. "Can you at least say something?"

"Do you not wear bras?" Heather said not able to take her eyes off of the Latina's chest.

"Heather! Really?"

"I mean, can you put a bra on, please?" Heather was almost pleading. Oh how she so desperately wished Naya would put on something more than that vest to end the battling thoughts in her mind. The material was doing a poor job in covering much. Naya suddenly felt self-conscious and vulnerable in that state she was in. Not that she didn't feel awkward already. Heather's demand for her to clothe her breasts instantly made her feel like there was something wrong with her body and the size of her bust.

She put her face back on, "Well, Jesus, stop staring!"

"Whoa, hold on!" Heather said snapping out of her reverie as she was outwardly accused of gawking at her best friend. Which she was… "It's not my fault! How am I supposed to know what people normally do when they walk in while someone's changing?"

"I'm pretty sure they don't just stand there and watch!"

"I…" Heather's words caught in her throat. She really didn't know what to say to that.

"Turn around so I can change…" Naya said in a quieter tone.

"Oh please… Like I haven't seen everything already…" Heather retorted, in mid-turn. Normally the two were fairly comfortable with changing in front of each other. They did use to share a trailer after all, and Heather had no problem taking her clothes off in front of Naya on a regular basis. They were both just so on edge with everything that has been happening between them and it didn't help that Heather waltzed in unannounced…

"Excuse me? This isn't some peep show…" Naya said sharply.

"What? That's not what I meant…I just, never mind…" Heather said turning away from Naya while she began to change.

Heather crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. She could not believe Naya right now. Something like this would normally just slip by in the past. There was something awfully wrong. Heather couldn't resist herself as she discretely tried to look back at Naya. Her back was to her and Heather watched as Naya stretched the straps of her bra behind her and snapped the clasp. Heather swung her head back and cursed at herself. _Stop being such a creeper…_

"Listen… I'm sorry," Heather started and she spoke to the door. "I just wanted to talk."

"What about?" Naya sighed as she pulled a big, grey hoodie over her head. Naya turned and looked sadly to Heather's back.

"Can I turn around now?" Heather questioned.

"Yes."

Heather turned slowly, almost cautiously. Her arms were still folded across her chest.

"Truce?"

"Truce," Naya replied and Heather let her arms limply fall back to her sides.

"You're worrying me again," Heather simply cut to the chase. "Please tell me what you wanted to tell me while we were on set."

Naya was sincerely hoping Heather had forgotten about the whole thing. "Heather… There's nothing really to say anymore," Naya said honestly. No way in hell was she going to ruin Heather and Nate's relationship or theirs' for that matter.

"No… It can't be nothing, Naya," Heather said trying to pull it out of her. It was scaring Naya; she felt like she was trying to read her mind. Naya ran her hands through her hair and let out a long breath.

"Nay," Heather said as she strode across the room forgetting boundaries and trying to pull the smaller brunette close. She wouldn't budge.

"Please… don't…" Naya said softly, putting her hands up to stop Heather. Heather's eyes saddened.

"What's wrong with us?" Heather asked, pain behind her words. Naya looked up at her and tried to convey a positive expression.

"Nothing," Naya was going to try her damned hardest to give Heather every bit of happiness she could. So she repeated, "Nothing, Heather. We're fine."

Naya was doing her best to smile, but it didn't seem to convince the blonde. Her face was crinkling with sadness and confusion.

"Nay, what happened to communication?"

"We are communicating, Heather. I am telling you, we are fine," she tried to reassure. "I promise."

Heather didn't say anything, she just stared at Naya with a stern face.

"Please just forget about what I wanted to say. It got fixed," Naya tried using the words Heather had chided to her from their previous argument. "Really, Hemo. I even talked to Nate…"

Heather furrowed her eyebrows questioningly.

"The conversation we had really put me back in place. I was just confused about… things. He had that voice of reason. He probably got it from you," Naya tried to joke. It got no such reaction from Heather. "It wasn't even that important, okay? Please say something…"

"I don't get you sometimes…" Heather finally said. Naya frowned.

"You don't have to," Naya spoke quietly.

"No, I should."

"We're gonna be okay, Heather. Stuff like this happens… we're just... off," Naya tried to explain. "You'll always have me, Heather. Sometimes you don't have to worry so much about how I'm feeling or if we're having a rough patch. In the end it will all mull over and we'll still be best friends."

Heather looked up at Naya and their eyes locked. Naya could tell she was trying to read her again, and she began to feel nervous under the heavy gaze. Heather finally nodded and gave her a weak smile.

"You better be fucking right about this…" her words were playful, but her voice was dead serious so Naya responded accordingly.

"I am, Heather," her voice was sincere and heartfelt. Naya knew what she was doing, at least she thought she did. She had convinced herself this way was better for Heather; that it was better for the both of them. "Nate's probably waiting for you… You should get going."

Heather couldn't help but feel like she was being rejected and shoved out. She nodded her head and turned sadly to the door. Naya had made her way over to her dresser and sat down in her chair, hugging one leg that she pulled up on the seat. Heather placed her hand on the door handle, but turned back before she opened it. Naya was toying with her brush.

"I'll see you later?" Heather called out to her friend with hope.

"Mhm…" Naya replied, nonchalantly. She did not turn around to meet Heather's voice, so the blonde quietly slipped out of the trailer.

Naya heard the door softly click shut and Heather's footsteps fade off of the stairs to her trailer. She let the silence surround her for a few seconds. Then, the Latina finally broke down, releasing every heaving sob and scalding tear she had kept buried for two long years of wishing. Her shoulders shook violently as she let go of everything, letting go of happiness and love. Naya finally let herself crumble completely.


	6. Chapter 6

I see this chapter much more as a bridge to later BIGGER events. It's very much the set up. There's quite a bit of cast interaction, and I just hope I hit everyone accurately as well as I did Naya and Heather. I apologize for any mistakes!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 6<p>

The past few days had been hell for Naya. Since that day of filming "Me Against the Music", Naya had been mechanically going through the motions of her work day. Heather and Naya didn't really have a moment to linger on the broken way they left things at the trailer. The two were so immersed in filming, rehearsing, and recording that time spent with each other was scarce. Naya reasoned it was much better this way. She would often catch Heather giddily talking on her phone or constantly texting Nate, so she assumed things were going well with the couple. Yesterday, Ryan scolded her and threatened to lock her phone up for the day if she didn't put her priorities straight. Although, immediately after confronting Naya, she did notice that the blonde sulked around the lot a bit, but after a day or so it was as if nothing had ever happened. Naya could only wish she could say the same for herself. She found herself bitter and constantly tired. She would be hungry, almost starving. When she was presented with food her famished state would disappear and her stomach forbade her to eat. All she wanted to do now was sleep.

So you could only imagine Naya's enthusiasm as her shaky hands lazily tried to put on her fake eyelashes. She was failing miserably as she was attempting to ready herself alone in her apartment for the cast's premiere party tonight. Ryan told them all it would be a great "break" from acting and that it would be a time to enjoy the work they had achieved so far on season two. Naya personally felt that the occasion served far from a break, as she was acting twenty-four hours these days. She was surprised she had mustered the strength to confirm her invitation for tonight. She at least expected herself to make some lame excuse that she couldn't be there, but her mind told her she couldn't let her Glee family down. _Just do exactly what you've been doing for the past two years… It's not that bad and you're used to it now. It'll all pass eventually… _Naya hoped desperately.

Naya heard her phone buzz on the night stand next to her bed and got up to receive the message.

**Kevin Mchale 4:47 PM **_Yo, Veiled Fairy! U best be ready for a fan-fuckin-tastic night! U, me, Panda, Chris, Amber, and Hemo… all night long baby! First rounds on me!_

Naya couldn't help, but smile to herself and roll her eyes as she scrolled through her friend's text. She immediately responded.

**Naya Rivera 4:49 PM **_Kevin, u do realize that drinks are on the house tonight? So try not putting urself up on a pedestal here lol. I prob wont stay long at the after party tho…_

Naya felt her phone vibrate almost instantly from Kevin's firing texting ability.

**Kevin Mchale 4:50 PM **_Ah whatever… all the technicalities. But say wat now? We will not let that slide tonight… this will be epic! Season two, Naya!_

Naya let out a heavy sigh. She didn't know how long she would last in there and she didn't want to take the risk of being intoxicated around Heather all night. Plus, she was exhausted and she had a lot to think about. In a few days, she was going to film "the scene" with Heather. Its official writing on her white board calendar had begun its looming effect on her. She thought her reasons were actually quite sound.

**Naya Rivera 4:54 PM **_Ugh, idk…maybe. We'll see how the night goes, Kev. I'll see u soon. _

Naya clicked her backlight off and looked up to meet her reflection staring back in her body length mirror. Naya ran her hands over the exposed parts of her chest and down the fabric of her transitioning grey, blue and white dress. It fit snuggly, as the material hugged her curves perfectly. Her palms met her breasts and Heather's words echoed tauntingly from the other day.

_"…can you put a bra on, please?"_

The small brunette frowned and suppressed a sigh. She continued to run her hands lower over her abdomen. A little chirp of worry yelped in the back of her mind when she found how easy it was to feel her ribs through her dress. She had noticed how she had begun to lose some weight as her petite-self looked even smaller than usual. Naya wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her body into a hug. She tucked her chin to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. She had to prevent herself from letting her body rack up into violent sobs again. She couldn't let her hot, stinging tears drown her makeup. She had cried so much already, that the emotion was starting to mean nothing. It just left her feeling raw and empty; only leaving behind pulsing headaches.

She took in one long, jagged breath and faced her reflection again. This was something she couldn't get out of. She felt like a little girl again, trapped in a corner with no way out. The only thing she could do was to continue what had grown into a lifestyle. _Just act. It's the only thing you can do right. _

Naya had managed to push through all the press interviews and red carpet shoots without really having to interact with Heather at all. Naya felt rehearsed as she responded to the same questions with the same answers. The producers had all given them lectures beforehand on what they could and couldn't say about the season in store. She felt like it didn't really matter, because Ryan gave away everything anyways… She let out a sigh of relief when she found Kevin during the photo call. Her friend pulled her into a comforting hug.

"You look amazing, Nay-Nay!" Kevin said admiring Naya's look. "And those heels? Damn girl!"

Naya laughed and the sound made her smile. "You don't look bad yourself. Gosh you and your bowties…" Naya said playfully poking at the knotted tie around his neck.

"You know me. Can't cramp my style! You gonna be okay tonight?" he had spoken the last part softer.

"Um…" Naya wasn't actually quite sure. "I'll be fine. I'm just tired you know?"

"We're all tired Naya… come on! Tonight will help with all the stress. Don't worry we'll take care of you."

"I don't need a babysitter, Kevin," Naya glared.

"Mhm… if you say so," he said jokingly. She punched him lightly in the shoulder before the two were beckoned to pose for a couple pictures.

Naya had stuck with Kevin for the remainder of the evening and soon found herself surrounded by the loving faces of Amber, Jenna, and Chris. She felt like she hadn't been able to _really_ spend time with them lately. It had been all work and no play for the entire cast, so casually drinking at a booth in a party put up by Fox felt like a little reunion. Naya was surprisingly having a good time and Kevin mocked her for being such a prude earlier. However, she rejected her friends' push for a second round, insisting one was enough for the night. Naya promised herself that she wouldn't let the power of alcohol impair her judgment. It was the last thing she needed. Nonetheless, she was having fun, without getting completely wasted. She had almost forgotten about Heather and Nate and all the other shit she was dealing with in her head. However, Naya wasn't able to relish that pleasure for long as she spotted the beautiful blonde walking through the entrance. She was late. Naya found that slightly odd, but then realized it was probably to fetch for the man now linked to her arm.

Heather told Naya that she wanted to keep their relationship on the down low, so she would always say in interviews that she was currently single. She said she didn't want the press to put a strain on their relationship if they went public. _Well, she's certainly ruining that…_ Naya took a large gulp at her alcoholic beverage, her expression immediately turning sulky. However, this was a private party, so it wasn't like the press was going to intrude. In fact they were encouraged to invite guests, but Naya didn't think anything of it. Still, she never thought Heather would be so clumsy about her and Nate.

"Oh snap! Hemo brought her boy in!" Kevin announced to the group, also noticing Heather. Everyone's heads turned to the direction Kevin was looking and they all started to make cooing sounds. Naya tried to shrink into the couch and continued taking longer sips from her drink.

"I think he may need help with his outfit next time…" Amber said to the lot of them and Jenna nodded her head in agreement. Naya simply smirked into her beverage. She was starting to feel warmer and her head lighter at the quick rate she was draining the liquid.

"And he looks like he has big feet…" Jenna also added.

"She could totally do better," Chris chided as he sipped at the straw of his diet Coke.

"Ah, come on guys. We haven't even really met the dude yet… or have we?" Kevin searched his mind, trying to remember Nate. Naya chuckled softly and rolled her eyes at her group of friends.

Heather was chatting with some of the producers and guests, introducing Nate every now and again. The smiling, animated blonde bobbed her way in and out of the crowd of guests. Her eyes were searching frantically amongst the throng of people until she finally found who she was looking for. Heather was at quite a distance, but even from where Naya was sitting she could see her sparkling blue eyes brighten up like Christmas tree lights when she had sought out her friends. Her pale lips spread into that infectious smile and she waved enthusiastically at them. Naya contracted her body in, trying to make her look as small as possible hoping the cushions would somehow consume her. It was no use, for whenever Naya flickered glances up she would catch Heather's eyes unabashedly dance over her skin. Naya unconsciously folded her arms over her body as if trying to cover it and sprawled her free hand over her exposed chest. She knew she shouldn't be ignoring her like this, Heather was still her best friend and she had to act like one.

Nate had been talking to someone Heather had just introduced to him before rigorously pulling him out of his conversation and towards Naya… and her other friends. Naya's eyes widened just enough for Chris, who was sitting next to her, to notice. It caused him to raise a single eyebrow in curiosity. _Oh, fuck… _Naya simply cursed in her mind and she threw back the last of her drink down her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and crinkled her face, as the fiery liquid burned down to her chest. Naya was frantically thinking of what she should do. Her mind was telling her to stay and not be obviously rude, but her body was twitching to get out of there. Tapping her foot anxiously, she finally decided to get up to find… someone, anyone else but Ken and Barbie. She tried to rise from her seat right as Heather and Nate approached the table and opened her mouth to begin her excuse. Before she could, she felt a soft palm firmly press her knee down, making her ass collide back to the seat.

Her head snapped to her right at Chris who was glaring her down dangerously. Naya gave him her 'what the fuck?' face, which was completely genuine. She read his eyes which simply answered, '_I don't think so, honey. Don't be rude.'_ Naya couldn't fathom how she was letting someone who wasn't even of drinking age yet dictate her actions. She had to admit that Chris was very mature for his age, probably more mature than half the people on set, but still… this was just unfair.

"Hey, guys!" Heather spoke excitedly, acknowledging her friends, but somehow ended up staring at Naya the whole time. The group greeted Heather happily in unison. Amber and Jenna had gotten up to give Heather a big sandwich hug. When Heather had walked in, Naya was in a fit of laughter with that gorgeous smile of hers plastered on her lips. Now, the small brunette was gazing downheartedly into her glass. Heather's fixed grin twitched a little at her friend's state.

"Wow, your dress Heather? Very chic," Amber noted, as the two girls complimented Heather's outfit. Naya looked back up at Heather and had to stop herself from letting her emotions get the best of her. She tried not to gawk at Heather's classy yet extremely sexy black number. Oh how she loved how the girl's style could be so simplistically lovely. It covered her chest and arms, but stopped at mid-thigh. Naya swallowed as she stared at the supple, creamy flesh of the dancer's legs. She nervously held her head in the palm of her empty hand, staring at the floor. She felt like she was going to be sick with anxiety. Naya had to further control herself when Heather's singing laughter bubbled from her throat.

"Thanks, Amber," as if suddenly remembering, "Oh guys! This is my Nate… I mean Nate's my…"

"Boyfriend," he finished as he shook Kevin's outreached hand. He went around the circle introducing himself to Heather's co-stars. As he approached Naya, she reached out her hand politely as a simple greeting. Nate took her hand, but pulled her close and gave a friendly peck on the cheek. The surprising gesture made Naya wish she had a large bottle of hand sanitizer.

"Hey, Naya! Long time, no see! You look great," he said trying to start up casual conversation. Nate looked a little more drained than when she saw him last.

Naya forced a smile and murmured, "Thanks."

She didn't notice Heather's attentive gaze.

"So, Nate? How did you two meet?" Chris inquired.

"Well… we pretty much grew up together. Middle school, then high school…"

"Aw, so it's a first love kinda thing?" Jenna cooed encouragingly.

Nate chuckled, wrapping a loving arm around his girlfriend's waist. "Yeah, I guess it is. Right, Hemo?"

The entire conversation thus far, Heather was watching Naya intently, trying to read some sort of reaction from her friend. She was getting nothing. Naya continued to fiddle with the rim of her cocktail glass. Heather finally returned her gaze up to Nate when he tried to confirm the question.

She answered sweetly, "Yup, ever since freshman year biology."

Nate smiled goofily at the memory, "Oh yah! I remember I would ask her the stupidest questions just to get her to talk to me… You would never guess, but she was ridiculously shy." Nate playfully bumped their hips together.

Naya watched Heather's expression discreetly falter into a hint of sadness. "Well, freshman year wasn't exactly easy…" she tried to say with the same enthusiasm as earlier, but Naya could see right through that. Naya was again reminded of that night Heather had first opened up about her father. Naya had been talking about some high school memories, reminiscing her awkward phases of those quite embarrassing years when the blonde confided the personal story.

_ "My father passed when I was fourteen. He had cancer… You never think it's gonna happen to you, and when it does… you can't really believe it. It felt like something out of those stupid dramatized movies, where everyone is extremely overpaid and the end is always happy and everyone gets what they want. But in my case I never got the happy ending." _

Naya recalled Heather's voice cracking as she further delved into her full life story, pouring out every emotion of her childhood. Naya didn't pester or pry, and she didn't have to encourage. Heather willingly told her everything, telling her feelings and thoughts she had never told anyone else before. For some reason it felt so easy and so different recalling on her missing paternal link; it was because it was Naya. She never asked one question. She simply listened and that's how Heather knew she could love the girl… as a friend that is. Heather admitted not enjoying her high school experience and just simply dancing her way through it. She told her how she would come home broken, distancing herself from her friends and changing the way she acted. Heather told Naya how thankful she was for her siblings and mother for being there. If they weren't, Heather confessed she would've been too lost to do half the things she's achieved now.

"Right, it wasn't…" Nate said looking back at Heather more seriously as he caught his clumsy sentence.

Heather didn't want to dampen the lively atmosphere, so she tried to shake off those darker memories. "Yah, but this kid was a _real_ charmer…" she began jokingly. "We had to dissect a frog once and he tried to be all manly, pretending he had a strong stomach. So he decided he could impress me by butchering up the whole thing. By the end of the period his face was so green, I swore he was going to pass out or something."

Nate rolled his eyes and said smiling, "I've tried so hard to forget this, but she always brings it up."

Heather continued, laughing out, "And at the end of the day, one of my friends told me he had to leave his English class and call his mom to go home early. Funniest thing ever."

"Hey, I told you it was because it was a combination of the smell of formaldehyde and having those nasty tacos for lunch…"

"Sure it was…" Heather said jokingly, "But I did feel bad."

"It took me quite a while to win this one over… If only you weren't so stubborn and would actually talk to me. But I didn't give up, obviously," Nate chuckled.

Naya wanted to choke herself with the cherry stem that she found at the bottom of her cup. She couldn't stand the cheesy happiness. However, Naya didn't notice Heather's still slightly saddened demeanor.

Sensing Heather's discomfort, Chris spoke up about his high school nightmares. "Oh don't worry, Heather… My awkward years aren't much to brag about either. Most of the student body thought I swallowed Alvin the chipmunk when I was an infant. Oh and during my junior year I played Sancho in _Man of La Mancha _for our school's musical_…_ well, all the kids at the end of night who came up for our autographs all swore I was a girl because of my voice. That just proves what a joy my high school experience was."

Everyone laughed at Chris's storytelling from his not so glorious past times and it caused the rest of them to reminisce on embarrassing high school moments. Naya watched sadly as Nate would give Heather loving kisses on her temple and cheek, their fingers constantly teasing and poking each other. The two would randomly look in each other's direction, giggling childishly at some inside joke. She couldn't take anymore and got up to leave.

"Whoa, girl… Where you be going?" Kevin was obviously a little tipsy.

"Oh, would you look at that? My drink is empty… I'm just gonna go over there and get myself… something else…" Naya said looking down at her glass, just trying to find some excuse to get out of there. Chris eyed her suspiciously, and she just glared back him daring him to do something about it.

"I was actually going to get us some drinks too, I'll join you," Heather tried, but Naya interrupted.

"I see Dianna, Lea, and Cory. I'll see you guys later," she said quickly and changed her course over to the three actors. Heather sat there dumbfounded by Naya's attitude, as the Latina raced over to their other friends. Sometime in the middle of Kevin's billionth attempt to defend his years being in a boy band, she eventually got up and walked herself over to the bar… it was going to be a long night.

"Hey, Naya! How have you been tonight?" Cory exclaimed excitedly, giving her a small side hug.

"Alright… it's been interesting so far."

"Interesting?" Dianna spoke questioningly to Naya.

"Don't ask…" Naya responded back to her blonde friend. Dianna nodded her head knowingly, expecting the Latina to tell her later. However, Naya had no intention on telling anyone what was going on in her mind.

"Oh! I actually wanted to tell you two," Cory began gesturing to both Naya and Dianna, "Loved your fight scene. You ladies did not hold back at all… _So _entertaining."

He chuckled, Lea joining in on the laughter. It made Dianna roll her eyes at them; Naya couldn't help but giggle along too.

"I'm sorry to point this out though… not that you two didn't do a good job or anything, but you could really tell that Dianna was mentally prepping herself for the slap," Lea said between fits of laughter.

"What? Please…" Dianna said in disbelief.

Lea threw her arms up in defense. "I'm just saying! You turned away a second too early…"

"Sorry that my reflexes are just too good," Dianna bickered sarcastically.

Naya scoffed. "No, you were just scared I was actually going to hit you."

"Well, you did the first take!" Dianna pointed. Lea and Cory both made 'oh snap' gasps and continued laughing at the two.

"It was an accident! I swear! And I apologized a gazillion times…"

"I know, I know… I already forgave you. Even though it hurt like a bitch…" Dianna said with her sweet smile.

"Wow, I cannot believe you actually hit Dianna. Kinda wish I was there for that," Cory added with his boyish smile.

"Oh Cory, how I love when you speak your thoughts," Dianna joked.

"Darling, it's okay… you don't have to be all embarrassed that you got beat in a cat fight," Lea chirped, wrapping an arm around Dianna. The blonde gave the shorter girl the death glare.

"Mhm, sure Lea…" Dianna said shaking her head, smiling. She lightly slipped out of Lea's hold and walked over to Ian and Ryan for a quick chat. Naya couldn't help but question the change in Lea's expression. She didn't have time to fully contemplate on the matter as a familiar low voice rumbled behind her. Naya turned to meet deep blue eyes, and her smile faded.

"Hey, Naya. Hey guys…" Nate said waving to Lea and Cory. Lea waved back while Cory shook Nate's hand.

"Hi! You're Heather's boyfriend, right?" Cory greeted politely.

"Yeah, Nate… and you are that guy that's obsessed with my girlfriend and has a weird affinity to offer beef jerky at the most random times?" Cory's signature smile quickly fell, as his face altered into one of fear. Nate was obviously referring to that behind the scenes cast interview Heather had in which Cory had sneaked in the background offering her beef jerky like the dork he was. However, his quirkiness made him friendly and undeniably likeable, Naya had to admit.

"Uh, uh… I…" Cory faltered.

Nate's blank expression broke out into that ridiculous smile again as he said, "Psych! I'm just messing with you man…" Nate gave Cory a loud clap on the shoulder, and the slightly taller man let out a weary laugh. Cory looked to Naya, eyes obviously still in shock. Naya simply shrugged her shoulders as she laughed quietly at her friend's reaction with Lea.

"But don't get any ideas," Nate said, tone serious but smile playful.

"Oh yah. You really don't have anything to worry about… We try to keep everything PG on set…. well as much as possible," Cory spoke more hesitantly, but still managed to wink in Naya's direction. She glared at him questioningly. _What in the world is he referring to?_

"Dude, I don't care what you guys do as long as it's not with my girlfriend," Nate said jokingly. _He really doesn't have anything to worry about. The girl was a saint, she wasn't going to go breaking his heart… unfortunately. _Naya thought to herself in dismay.

"Don't listen to Cory… he has no idea what he's talking about," Naya reassured, continuing to glare the man down. Cory was looking everywhere but at Naya's dangerous gaze, even though his mischievous smile still played on his lips.

Nate simply chuckled at the remark, "You guys all seem really close. When Heather told me you were all like a big, happy family I thought she was just exaggerating. But it's really true after seeing all you guys together."

"Of course. We spend so much time together; you have a tendency of getting really close to the people you work with," Lea confirmed. Naya and Cory nodded in agreement.

"Yes… I've learned never to second guess the woman ever again. She's always right," Naya mentally agreed when Nate turned to her. "Hey, Naya… Sorry, but I was wondering if I could pull you aside for a minute? I just needed to talk to you about something…"

Naya eyed the man questioningly as her stomach started to feel heavy with dread. Why Nate wanted to talk to her, she had no idea… All she knew is whatever he needed to say, she was certain she would not be happy to hear.

"Sure," she said, trying to disguise her hesitancy with a smile. She found herself quickly being pulled away, and she stole a glance behind her at her two abandoned friends. They gave small waves of encouragement; Cory's was more a 'good luck, I hope you survive' wave. Nate led them to the bar and the two took seats on a set of tall stools. Naya crossed her legs and bobbed her foot nervously. She wasn't quite sure why she was so anxious. She didn't do anything wrong, did she? Maybe Heather told him about their cleavage filled incident. Naya shook her head. It still wouldn't matter, because Naya knew, and Nate should too, that Heather was completely straight. Nate hailed the bartender and ordered a Jack and Coke.

"And for you?" Nate asked politely, turning to Naya.

"Oh, can I just get one shot of tequila? Thank you." Nate raised her eyebrows at the tiny Latina, slightly shocked by her order. Naya simply shrugged him off and the man bustled off to mix their beverages. That's when Nate began.

"So far tonight has been… crazy," Nate said letting out a sigh. If Naya could guess, she would say Nate seemed a little worried. She didn't really notice before, mainly because she was trying to avoid all eye contact with the couple, but Nate's cheerful, sea-kissed eyes were sunken and tired. He sounded so unsure of himself compared to all of Naya's prior conversations with the man. Something was off…

"Yeah… it's been a lot to handle. Dealing with press and fans _and_ too many flashing lights can be quite overwhelming," Naya answered casually.

"Oh, I bet. Heather hasn't been handling it the best… For the past few days, Heather has been a whirlwind of emotions to say the least…" Nate spoke distantly and Naya raised her eyebrows. If Naya knew Heather as well as she did, she could say that the woman normally never let any of the publicity get to her head. Her boyfriend's description didn't seem right. Nate spotted Naya's questioning expression and clarified, "Oh, but you know Heather… I mean, well she's normally always happy. She is happy… what I mean to say is…"

_This is getting really weird… Why is he telling me this?_ Naya thought in her nervous, sing-song voice.

Nate closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Heather was just a ball of nervous, excited, and crazy before today. It's been kinda stressful to deal with her… It was like I couldn't say anything right, it always made things worse. I didn't know what to do to comfort her. You know how people can get sometimes when there's too much going on?"

He shouldn't have to _deal_ with her craziness like it was some sort of inconvenience. He's her boyfriend for fuckssake and they've known each other for years. Shouldn't he know what to say? What pissed Naya off the most was that Nate made it sound like it was a job to be there for Heather. Naya politely responded despite her true opinion.

"Yeah, of course. You feel absolutely ecstatic and amazing for one second, but then you remember the shitty side of the situation and then you start dreading it." Naya could easily relate it with how she feels every time she sees Heather.

"Exactly. I couldn't have said it better… This is actually sorta what I wanted to talk to you about. Recently—" Nate stopped as the waiter came back with their drinks. They both thanked the man and clinked their glasses together briefly. Simultaneously, the two both tipped their drinks to their lips, taking large inhuman gulps at the alcoholic liquid. Naya had to raise the back of her hand to her puckered lips, her throat burning from the drink. It did nothing to relieve Naya's building tension unfortunately.

"Can I actually get another, please?" Naya called to the bartender before he attended to another guest. She hoped she didn't sound desperately alcoholic… she probably did.

Nate set down his glass and continued, "What I was saying is… I was wondering if you've noticed anything different?"

Naya was waiting for him to elaborate, but he simply stopped. "Anything different, how?"

"Well… Heather, well she's… Have you noticed anything different in her behavior? She's been acting… a bit off lately… It's really been worrying me."

Naya furrowed her eyebrows. She honestly didn't know if she could answer the question. She hadn't really spent any genuine time with Heather to notice, all she had were longing glances from a distance. _Rather creepy really… _Naya admitted, but she searched her brain for any acknowledgeable, abnormal behavior. In fact, Naya thought Heather was doing well considering how happy she's been on set. She was always on her phone talking to... someone, if not Nate. She couldn't be cheating, could she? _That's the stupidest thing you have ever thought in your life, Naya Rivera. Heather would never cheat on him, they're practically married…_ Nate's worry about the girl they both loved made Naya worry too. If he was sincerely concerned for Heather, something must be wrong and it made Naya very much intrigued to get to the bottom of it. The bartender returned with her second shot and she nodded a thanks, but left the small glass alone, too interested in the matter at hand.

"I… I honestly don't know. I can't recall anything considerably unusual," Naya felt like a horrible friend as those words left her lips. She should know if something were wrong. "Why? What's been going on?"

"I don't know, maybe I'm over thinking it… Ever since I came by that one day on set, things have been a little weird. She randomly shuts me out and she gets into these mood swings… I mean I understand she's a girl and everything, but with Heather I feel like stuff like that never happens. She's just so distant and well, not very affectionate lately…" Nate said the last part into his drink as he took another large swig.

Naya didn't know what to infer about the last few words. In her mind she was probably interpreting it differently from what Nate was trying to get across. It was all hopeful thinking.

"You guys seemed fine just right now," Naya pointed out.

"That's the thing! One minute she's normal, the next I'm second guessing myself again… At home she barely said a word to me then, when we came here, everything was fine. Until a few minutes ago when she left to go to the bar… and now I don't know where she is," Nate said carelessly looking about the room for the blonde. Naya guessed that was probably the millionth time he had done so.

Naya strangely felt bad for him. "I'm sorry. I don't really know what to tell you… I mean, Heather's mood is sorta understandable," Nate looked up at Naya sadly, so she continued. "I mean, things have been very stressful with work. We work fifteen hour days sometimes. You gotta give her a break. I know she's great at being such burst of energy twenty-four, seven… but this time she's probably just a bit burnt out…"

Nate simply nodded his head, body slumped downcast. Naya couldn't stand the man looking so god damn hopeless. It was like seeing a lost puppy.

"Hey," Naya spoke softly, placing a hand on his arm. Nate looked up. "It's gonna be okay. Whatever you guys are going through, you'll work your way out of it. Heather fixes things like this. It's pretty much her favorite past time to make things better."

Nate smiled appreciating the brunette's reassuring words.

"That's very true. Would you mind if you could just try and talk to her? I don't know… Maybe as the best friend you can see something I can't," Nate said, a gentle hopeful smile.

"Well, I…" Naya started, but she was caught by his sad, deep ocean eyes. _God damn it…_ "Of course. I don't know how much help I'll be… but anything to help you two out."

Nate's large grin spread back on his lips and it put Naya at some ease. How she hated drama. His normal cheeriness didn't last long, as Naya suddenly watched Nate's expression return to its sullen state. She felt heavenly, slim arms wrap around her waist. Familiar laughter tickled warmly at her ear and she instinctively swallowed nervously. She jumped a little at the surprising lithe figure pressing against her back and Nate simply turned back to his drink and mumbled, "I sure hope you're right…"

Naya swiveled in her seat to find herself extremely close to one, Heather Morris. _Too close, too close… _Naya chanted nervously in her head. She automatically stared at the blonde's lips, but forced her eyes up to sparkling, but oddly misty blue ones.

"H-Heather? Um, what are you doing?" she asked uneasily, peeling the dancer's gorgeous, pale arms from her body. _Maximize space, must maximize space…_

"Just socializing, the usual… but I missed my bestie! And the best boyfriend in the world," Heather said shuffling over to Nate. Naya noticed the blonde's unusual wavering movement. She could not be drunk already… Naya had only been apart from her for about ten minutes!

"Heather, you okay?" Nate said holding her firmly from swaying.

"Of course, babe! Why wouldn't I be," she giggled childishly and her hand fell to his thigh, awfully close to his crotch. Naya had to look away. She could not believe it… How in the fucking world was she already drunk? And before Naya! It had to be some sort of record…

"Have you been drinking Smirnoff? You know that never turns out well…" Nate questioned.

"I didn't, don't worry," Nate was not convinced. "Come on, honey… you don't need to baby me. I'm just having a little fun! Ryan said we all needed a night off, right Nay-Nay?"

The two watched her intently, putting her on the spot. "Uh…" Naya stumbled. Nate was practically staring daggers at her, but Naya couldn't help but cave into Heather's dazzling orbs. "Well, yeah… Ryan did say that, but Heather you shouldn't—"

"See? Let loose a little, babe," Heather patted his head and turned back to Naya. "Now, I wanna see Naya move dat ass out on the dance floor!" Naya cringed at Heather's slang and slurring words.

"Heather, maybe we should just sit for a while…" she tried to suggest, but the thought didn't settle in the blissful, blonde's brain. Naya didn't really have time to think, as Heather quickly sauntered over to her and strongly pulled her from her stool.

"Nuh uh! Lez go!" and with super-human, drunken strength Heather started to drag the reluctant Latina to the dance floor. Before getting too far, Heather turned sharply almost running into her captive. She reached across Naya, closely grazing her chest causing her breath to automatically hitch. She swiftly swiped up Naya's forgotten tequila shot.

"Heather, wait! No!" Naya tried, but Heather had already thrown back the stinging liquid. Naya sighed in defeat as she allowed herself to be lead to the pulsating music. Naya chanced a look back at a stunned and disappointed Nate.

*Just A Little Author's Side Note!  
>So I was very surprised on how quickly I wrote out this chapter… please don't expect this to be like a regular thing, for classes are truly picking up. Also, I would like to say (not bragging or anything) but I know the statement included about Chris being in <em>Man of La Mancha<em> to be a true fact! My high school was one of the rivals to his and for Spanish Club my freshman year we went to go see their production of the show and he played Sancho. My friend and I were so confused at the beginning and kept arguing if he was a girl or a guy… and now he's famous! I swear I'm not a creeper or anything, I even have the program somewhere in my room haha. Anyways, that was a complete side note and I thought it would have been rather annoying to include at the beginning of the chapter. I know you guys rather have just gotten on with your reading. Hope you enjoyed and can't wait for your comments!


	7. Chapter 7

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 7<p>

Her fingers weaved together with her best friend's, who was following close behind. Heather successfully stumbled over to the small crowd of people on the dance floor. Once she had found a quaint space in between two other couples, Heather slipped her hand out of Naya's. The immediate vibrations of music reaching her ears caused an instinctive reaction to rock her body to the beat. She turned to her friend, playfully eyeing her and summoning her closer with her index finger.

Naya gulped. She hoped the intoxicated Heather wouldn't notice the evident panic in her eyes. Watching the blonde dancer sensually sway her perfectly rounded bottom to the beat of the music made Naya wonder how in God's name Nate was able to control himself around his girlfriend. Naya still wasn't sure how the night had come to this. She now stood in the middle of the rather thin dance floor, Heather teasingly swirling around her. Her dazzling blue eyes would gleam at Naya, the presence of alcohol swimming in those mesmerizing orbs. Even though the blonde was significantly drunk, Naya couldn't help but admire the way Heather would effortlessly flow about. Heather closed her eyes, letting the music take control of her body. She danced like how Naya imagined a swan would if it researched Beyoncé's naturally sensual dancing on YouTube. She was desperately trying to get Naya to start dancing with her like they used to some many times before.

The party being more of a social cocktail event caused the dance floor to be sparse of people. Naya observed a few couples and a group of guests here and there dancing casually. She was far from enjoying herself. She was pretty sure that Heather was slowly torturing her. She felt timid and awkward, simply standing next to her gracefully poised friend. The Latina desperately wished there were more dancers surrounding them as she felt like everyone was staring.

Heather continued to gyrate daringly close to Naya's hips and she had to refrain from giving in. She reluctantly placed her shaky palms on Heather's sleeved shoulders and tried to stop her distracting gestures. Heather took this as an invitation as she sloppily threw her arms around the shorter girl's neck. Naya tried to withdraw. The dancer noticed and let up slightly, but couldn't control her body's need to continue on with the music.

"Hey Nay… come on. We need this. We have worked so, so, so… so…" Heather's voice was raspy. Her words were getting lost as she blatantly stared at the plump flesh of Naya's lips. _You can't trust Heather's actions when she's drunk… _Naya convinced herself as she noticed Heather's faltering, the blonde's head lightly bobbing loosely.

"…hard," Heather had finally finished swallowing.

"Yes, that's true Heather but—"

"But nothing! Nay, no more excuses. Let's just have fun, okay?" Heather whined, her eyes growing wide in disbelief at her friend.

"We can have fun Heather, but let's just slow down a little, yeah?" Naya said trying to reason with the incompetent drunk. She pushed gently at Heather's shoulders, trying to relieve her body with space. Heather clenched her jaw and her eyes inevitably glimmered with rejection. Then a new song erupted from the speakers, instantly changing the start of Heather's brooding demeanor. The beat was slightly slower, but loud enough to shake the floor.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I _love _this song, Nay! We gotta dance to this one," Heather practically shouted at Naya. Her grin was way too big for her cheeks to contain and Naya thought it must have been painful to smile that hard. Heather was already it fits of movement when Naya began to protest.

"Hea—"

"Puhleeeaase, Nay? Just this one and after I promise we can go be boring and sit…" she slurred like a preschooler. Naya sighed as Heather pulled her closer.

Heather rolled her body up against the small brunette who was obviously shocked by the close proximity and suggestive movements. But Heather didn't give a fuck. She didn't know what the hell it was, if it was the Smirnoff, the music, Naya… all she knew is that being pressed up against her friend felt unlike any other time she's danced before. It felt natural, definitely not awkward like when she used to freak dance with Nate like every other teenage couple on prom night. She took Naya's arms and placed them so they were wrapped around her waist. Heather noticed Naya biting that teasingly supple lower lip of hers, and it made her smirk.

"H-Heather… Do we… do we really need to dance this c-close?" Naya managed to make out. "I mean… I love dancing with you and…no that's not what I... wait, uh… I… but, um… We could totally be grossing out our lovely conservative Fox producers," she blurted not being able to think of any other excuses.

Naya had been used to not being able to find words around the blonde, but that last sentence was just ridiculous. She almost laughed at her own sloppy grammar. Heather placed a finger on her lips, silencing her to prevent further embarrassing stammers. Heather was suddenly mesmerized by her slender appendage lightly pressed to those lips she had been staring at all night. _Fuck, why are they so tempting?_ Heather thought, relishing the feel of the soft, moist skin on the pad of her finger. She blinked a couple times, removing her finger. She then continued her dancing, but this time settling for some silly chest thrusts and goofy over exaggerated faces at Naya. The Latina couldn't help herself as she gave in to innocent memories where she would freely dance like this with her best friend all the time. Light, honest laughter sang from Naya's throat and Heather smiled widely, happy to entertain her friend.

The blonde, being drunk off alcohol and Naya's infectious laughter continued her foolish dancing by thrashing her head about. Slipping out of Naya's arms, Heather then went for the traditional 'grocery shopping' and 'water sprinkler' moves. She finally went into a crazier modified version of the 'running man' as she pumped her fists aggressively out in front of her. Naya was in uncontrollable fits of laughter, shaking her head at her ridiculous friend. She didn't think it was possible to loathe someone and love someone at the same time. The girl was simply adorable in her drunken state.

"Exactly how much did you drink tonight?" Naya asked wheezing. She chuckled at her friend's abnormally, over-the-top enthusiasm.

Heather leaned and whispered in Naya's ear, giggling, "Enough to say that I think you have the best ass out of the entire cast. Especially when you're dancing to anything Tina Turner…"

Naya raised her eyebrows. "Wow, you are really drunk…"

Heather swatted playfully at Naya's arm. "Naw… Just a little tipsy," she said pinching her index finger and thumb close together to signify how drunk she was. Then she proceeded to flap her arms into a chicken dance. Naya simply smiled and shook her head.

"Nate's right, no more Smirnoff for you."

"Shhhh…." Heather hushed like it was supposed to be some sort of secret. "If you don't start dancing right now, I_ will _make you," said the blonde with hazy, playful eyes.

Naya chuckled and started mimicking Heather's silly dancing style. She did her signature dance, her arm going into spasms at her side while she shuffled around in circles. The two laughed at their bizarre forms of humorous dancing causing Heather to snort loudly every now and again. She watched Naya begin to let herself go into the music, stress radiating out of her tired limbs. Heather smiled softly to herself admiring her friend. Heather's mind wandered for a second. _God she's so beautiful… and sexy._

Alcohol swimming in her mind, Heather smiled mischievously as she took Naya's sides from behind and slowly ran them down to her hips. Naya stiffened at the simple gesture. It felt like it had so much more meaning behind it, but she tried not to read into anything. Heather prevented Naya from escaping this time, as she firmly pressed herself against the small brunette. Heather heard Naya's breath hitch and she squeezed her curves comfortingly. Naya let the dancer slowly begin to move their bodies in sync, their forms meshing together. Their knees bent in time causing Naya's ass to grind into Heather's hips; the blonde smiled pleased.

Heather raised one of her arms up above her head swaying it to the beat as their bodies continued to increase friction. Naya was beginning to forget where she was and who she was with. Nate's sad voice in the back of Naya's mind seemed to be drowned out by the blaring music emanating throughout the dance floor. That tequila shot was starting to rise back into her cheeks, the alcohol clouding her better judgment. She felt light headed as that wonderful scent of honey and syrup wafted over her like her early morning breakfast. She let her eyelids close halfway and copied Heather, but instead opted in raising both arms up in the air snapping her fingers in time with the beat. Heather's hand that still lingered on the Latina's body wandered aimlessly about. Naya's breathing was becoming unsteady and she desperately hoped Heather wouldn't notice. _It was that damn hand_. Heather's warm palm drifted over her abdomen then strayed dangerously past her waist. Playful fingers reached Naya's thigh, teasing the hem of her dress. Naya's eyes flew open as she watched Heather's fingertips graze over her caramel skin. Her mind was having a hard time linking the image to the sensation of the touch.

Heather pulled her closer, if that was even possible. She brought her arm back down letting her hand graze over the little patch of skin exposed by the top of her dress, just above the brunette's left breast. She again let her fingers trace lower, positioning her hand back on Naya's hip and continuing to give soft squeezes. Naya was trying her hardest to stifle a moan that was ebbing in the back of her throat, but it came out as a quiet, strangled cough. She could feel that familiar sensation of warmth pooling down to her nether regions. To further worsen Naya's situation, Heather leaned forward, warm breath tickling the baby hairs at her neck. Naya swallowed as she felt Heather's nose gently nuzzle her ear. She wasn't sure if the blonde was _that_ drunk to be this promiscuous or if she was intentionally putting Naya through her own personal hell. She squeezed her eyes shut. This was way too much to handle. Fuck, she's let this go too far. What in the world was she thinking? Nate could be watching too… With that thought, Naya's movements drastically stiffened. She brought her hands back down and gently covered Heather's.

"Heather…" she mumbled quietly, her mind still incoherent and confused. Heather simply smiled and sent a small giggle into Naya's ear, enjoying the soft feel of Naya's creamy palms over hers.

"W-Why? Why are you doing this…?" Naya sighed out in a whisper, mainly to herself.

Heather could faintly hear a sting of pleading sadness in Naya's voice. She bit her lip. She was confused herself on exactly what she was doing. She was blaming it on the alcohol… or was she? Naya's desperation made Heather question if she should stop or continue; which she wanted to do the latter. It's not that she liked her or anything like that… No, it was just because she missed her best friend and this was… fun; well to say the least. Naya's head sunk ever so slightly and the two ceased their ocean-wave like movement. They still remained pressed against each other and both of Heather's hands found their way back to their initial position on Naya's hips. Heather eyed the corner of Naya's naturally pouty lips as she could see them quiver faintly. Unconsciously, she leaned forward towards those tempting pink jewels of flesh. She wasn't quite sure what the intentions of her actions were, again her mind was not functioning at all properly. She just felt compelled towards the luscious skin, but at the same time she felt stuck. A million questions bounced in her mind with every closing inch of space between her and the unsuspecting Latina.

Heather didn't get a chance to make her final decision, as she suddenly felt a wagging ass brush against her leg and the sound of familiar chuckling laughter. Naya sensing another presence jumped a good amount of distance away from Heather's warm body and wandering hands. Heather was surprised by the sudden lack of one body and the replacement of a foreign other.

"Whoot! Kevin in da the house!" Kevin jeered as he bobbed his butt up and down comically. Soon the three were joined by Amber, Chris, Cory, and Jenna. Naya watched as Heather seemed to just shrug off the situation, proceeding to turn towards Kevin's rear and fake slapping it. Naya folded her arms dejectedly as the rest of her friends began to dance animatedly.

"Oh yah! You smack that ass, Heather!" Cory chanted jokingly, filming them all with his camera. Everyone was laughing and enjoying the celebration, while Naya just wanted to run away. The blonde began to drunkenly dance innocently with Chris and Naya's eyes looked downcast. With one last look at Heather, she did just that. The brunette fled from the dance floor, practically sprinting towards the exit for some much needed fresh air. Regretful blue eyes followed the figure sadly as this was the second time Naya had run away from her that night.

Naya clumsily fell through the double doors of the party, shoving them open. She was greeted by the night air and she took a long drag in through her nostrils. Her eyes were suddenly blinded by bright flashing lights, and her face winced in reaction. She held a hand over her eyes as she saw probably eight or so paparazzi snapping away at her. She forced out a smile and gave a small wave. She sloppily tried to retreat her way back up the steps of the entrance, her legs wobbly from all the commotion.

"Hey! Naya! One more picture? Before you go in!"

"Look over here! Over here!"

"What have you been drinking tonight, Naya?"

"Did you bring anyone with you tonight?"

"Are you stoked about season two like the rest of us?"

Naya felt overwhelmed by the pressuring photographers, but smiled nonetheless. No matter where she ran to she always seemed to find trouble…

Then she heard a soft voice, a savior thank goodness, "Hey, Naya… You okay?"

"Mark?" Naya questioned as she turned and looked up to her cast mate. "Hey… hi. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Were you leaving or going back in?" Mark asked politely, but hesitantly.

"In… definitely in…" she said quickly taking his awaiting arm as he led her away from the pestering cameras.

Once back inside the party, Naya and Mark found a quiet corner away from most of the guests. Naya didn't particularly want to be alone with the man after what had happened during their last encounter, but she wanted to distance herself from both Heather and Nate. She needed a breather from the pressing drama that was weighing heavily down on her chest. Naya felt foolish for giving in to Heather's seductive, drunk ways. She had _never_ let it go that far… Naya turned back to her current company. She was surprised Mark was even talking to her. He had given them much needed space, so Naya wondered maybe, possibly everything was normal again. She was certainly hoping, if not that would just make the situation so much more awkward.

"Thanks… for saving me back there," Naya started.

"Yeah, don't mention it…" he said carelessly, avoiding eye contact with the girl.

"Did you just get here?" Naya fiddled with the hem of her dress. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable and Mark was certainly not helping.

"Mhm… figured there was no reason to rush… no one really here anyways," Mark spoke as he looked about the room. Naya couldn't help but feel slightly taken aback. Mark was doing a pretty good job at acting like he didn't give a fuck. Mark was tapping his foot annoyingly, shaking the whole table. His eyes look sullen, like he hadn't been sleeping well. _What is it with guys being so down lately?_ Naya thought thinking about Nate's distraught state as well. However, Nate did actually have something to worry about. Naya suspected that something was up with Heather's behavior.

Mark took in a heavy breath and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, still avoiding Naya's eyes. Feeling that Mark wanted to be alone or just didn't want to be around her, she got up.

"Right… Well, thanks again. I'll just leave you be," Naya mumbled, as she had spotted Lea and Dianna talking over at the bar. Naya felt a familiar strong grasp encircle her arm gently, stopping her in her tracks.

"I never wanted you to go…" Mark whispered. Naya turned back to him and in the dim light his forest green eyes swam with unmistakable sadness and regret. She wasn't sure if he meant this literally or if he was figuratively referring back on their relationship again. Naya was weary with her response. She didn't want to go down this road _again_; they had done so too many times now. That night they argued after filming "Only the Good Die Young" had made enough of a dent in the restoration of their friendship. She was tired, and already broken from the events that transpired earlier that evening. The shattered brunette wasn't sure how much more she could take.

"You never asked me to stay…" Naya spoke back weakly.

"I know… but I'm asking now," Mark said, green eyes filled with hope.

She couldn't do this… not now. "Mark… I—"

"I get that I fucked up. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, and I'm sorry for blaming you for what I did wrong… It's just… sometimes I just don't know what the hell to say to you and I have _so_ much to say. And it's hard for me to admit that…" Mark was forcing his words out through a clenching jaw. Naya could tell he had been thinking deeply about this, and she felt empathetic towards his struggle. It was something she knew all too well. She had to stop him before he said something that would make things so much more complicated.

"Mark, wait," he looked at her, his lips pouting into that frown of his. Naya took a deep breath in and sighed. "Now… Now is not really a good time for this… I don't think either of us is in a strong enough place to know what we want right now. We just broke up this last summer," she pointed out to him. She didn't want to sound harsh, but she had to be realistic.

"It would be so Rachel and Ross of us to go on a break and then get back together and then go back on another break if things aren't one-hundred percent okay. And it isn't, Mark… I wish everything was okay, but we haven't had enough time to heal… well, at least I haven't…" Naya admitted to herself.

"Naya, please… if you just give me a second chance I swear things would be different. That's all I'm asking for. Haven't you made mistakes before?"

Naya simply nodded, thinking back to the dance floor.

"See? I'm admitting what I did was wrong, but mistakes can be a good thing. You learn from them so you won't do it again," Mark said, and Naya snapped her eyes back up at him.

"You don't get it…" she scoffed out unevenly, her words dripping with ache. "I can't do it anymore," Naya enunciated every syllable of every word. Again, she didn't want to hurt him, but she had to get the message across. Even though she had felt much worse heart aches, finding out Mark had been hooking up with other well-known women hurt more than she thought. Naya was on the verge of complete meltdown. She could feel it simmering.

Of course, to make matters worse, Mark did not want to give up. He took both of her hands in his, his thumbs running circles over the soft skin there. He stared into her tear brimming eyes intently.

"Naya, listen to me. It doesn't have to be so god damn complicated anymore. You have no idea the shit I have been going through…" he told her desperately.

"W-What? The shit that _you've _been going through? No… no… Mark, you do not have an inkling of what heartbreak truly feels like," Naya spoke knowingly.

Mark looked at Naya in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure I know what the hell it feels like, Naya. You're making me feel it right now," he said in half sadness and half anger.

"Please, Mark… just let me go. You need to let go," she said trying to free her hands from his rough ones. His grasp remained firm, his fingers clasping around her hands tighter.

"Why are you so willing to give up, Naya? Why can't you just try?" Mark's voice was starting to rise, bringing some attention to their small corner. Naya felt trapped, the pressure was building and building. She was struggling to hold it all together.

"Because Mark! I don't care for you like that!" Naya blurted out. It just burst, just like that. Naya knew she never had any feelings for Mark in that way, even while they were dating. She had tried so hard to let herself fall for him, but she simply couldn't forget the blonde that made her head spin and her heartstrings throb. Saying it out loud and to the man himself made her realize there was no turning back now. It was the truth though, and Naya actually felt a ripple of relief tingle through her chest. Mark's grasp slackened, letting Naya's fingers slip from his palms. His face looked broken with evident pain wrinkling his features. Mark was surprised to say the least that Naya would say something like that in such a public place. He was asking for it… His jaw was clenched, lips unmoving, and eyes piercing at the girl that was tearing him to pieces. Naya on the other hand was still trying to hold herself together after waves of emotion were washing over her body. Her arms lankily crossed over her stomach as if trying to hold herself upright and her lip quivered dangerously. She tried to keep her eyes stoic, because she knew if she let that go, all would be lost and the night would be completely ruined.

Then when Naya thought things could not get absolutely worse, it happened.

"Naya… I love you."

_Shit._

Mark had spoken so quietly that the words barely reached Naya's ears. It was out there and now he couldn't take it back.

Naya never thought those three beautiful words would end up causing so much damage. She began to panic. _This can't be happening… Fuck! This really can't be happening. Not here, not today. What in the fucking world do I say to this? How could he do this? Why did he want to destroy everything they had? _She hated having to do this, but she knew she couldn't lead him on. It was wrong and she didn't want to hurt him more than she already did. Naya knew that Mark didn't love her. He was just saying this out of whim in order to win over her heart. He was in love with the idea of her and him together. She had to admit that she was fond of the idea too, but things weren't so perfect. She had to fix this, for both their sakes.

"Don't…"

"Naya…" Mark took a step towards her.

"No Mark, don't…" Naya pleaded, putting a hand up to stop his advancement. Mark shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn out jeans.

"Y-You… don't… love me," Naya spoke out through breaths.

"Stop it, Naya. Please," Mark tried.

"No. Really… you don't love me, Mark. You really don't," she was desperately trying to convince him. He can't love her, it would ruin everything.

"Naya, I love you," he said this time with more confidence.

"Stop! Don't say it again, please… You don't know what you're saying," Naya was now just a blubbering mess. Her arms flailed helplessly in the air. She was wishing her thoughts out loud, hoping that somehow Mark would suddenly believe it too.

"You can't just tell me what I can and cannot feel, Naya."

"You don't love me," she repeated.

"Yes, I do…" he said matter-of-factly.

"No you don't. You really don't," she argued. Mark clenched his jaw and his eyes glowered with frustration. Naya had one hand on her hip and the other massaging circles at her temple. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to resolve all this… Mark opened his mouth to probably retort another 'I love you', but he was stopped as two of their co-stars entered the dispute. Naya was greatly relieved to be rescued. Her words were apparently failing tonight and she was running out of ways to convince Mark against his declaration.

"Hey, Naya… is everything okay over here?" Lea spoke to the two of them, but mainly to a visibly distressed Naya. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You guys are kinda drawing a little attention from our guests. Figured we could warn you before the producers do," Dianna said in her sweet, soft voice. Dianna's ability to always understand and adapt to troubling situations made Naya relax a little. She knew the woman would be able to help diffuse at least some of the tension building in the small space of their quarrel.

"We're fine. I was just talking to Naya," Mark stated simply. He still wasn't finished with what he needed to say. "We were actually in the middle of something important."

Naya's eyebrows furrowed and she scrunched her eyes closed. Her familiar pulsating headache was returning. She needed an escape. Waving down a waiter for another large dose of alcohol was becoming more tempting by the second…

"I actually needed to pull aside Naya for a minute," Lea butted in. _Thank God for this girl… _Naya looked to her, her eyes showing much appreciation.

Mark rolled his eyes, deeply frustrated. "Can I just have a couple more minutes alone with her? I—"

Dianna interrupted him, threading her arm through his. "I think Ryan told Lea that they needed Naya for something important. Why don't we sit down, get a drink… just take a few minutes to relax, okay?"

Dianna's voice was calm and patient as she was tenderly pulling Mark in the opposite direction towards a table. Dianna seemed like some sort of angel at that moment in her glowing, yellow dress and golden hair. Naya was so thankful of her friend. Mark was slightly resistant, but slowly began to give in. Naya could still see the evident annoyance on his face. Maybe Dianna can help him realize the horrible mistake he would be making. Dianna nodded at the two of them, giving them the okay as she swept Mark away. Mark's eyes never left Naya as Lea led her to the women's bathroom.

When Lea had swung open the door of the lady's powder room, Naya was surprised to find only two girls retouching their makeup and adjusting their hair. Naya was used to standing in Disneyland ride type lines in order to use the facilities. Lea tried politely as she could to shoo away the two younger guests out of the room for some girl talk. They simply scowled at the two celebrities and made their way out. Lea promptly locked the door behind them.

"Uh, what if someone needs to use the bathroom?" Naya said, hand still rubbing at her forehead.

"Fuck it. If they really need to go that bad they can use the men's bathroom," Lea stated simply, waving her hand dismissively. Naya's lips smirked up slightly only to be pulled back down by the force of her frustration. She let her head roll back and stared up at the ceiling. She let out a long breath of air.

"I don't know what the hell to do anymore…" Naya spoke up to the ceiling.

"Long night I take it?" Lea replied, her arms folded casually across her chest as she observed her co-star.

"That's the fucking understatement of the year!" Naya looked to Lea and began pacing the length of the room, the clicking of her heels projecting off the walls.

"Do you mind enlightening me on the situation?" Lea's expression seemed to remain strangely calm. Naya knew she shouldn't tell anyone, but she couldn't contain her mind as it raced a million miles a second. She would have to beat around the bush.

"Tonight has just been… Well, it's been a bitch frankly! I thought you know, hey maybe things will go well tonight. I mean, it's the fucking premiere. When did tonight suddenly become 'fuck with Naya's brain' night? Shouldn't everyone be celebrating? No, no! Of course not… Everyone just has to come and unload every little problem in their life on me… to me, for fuckssake! Like I'm supposed to have all the answers? God damn it, I'm the _last_ person people should come to for help…" Naya blustered about exasperatedly.

When Lea didn't say anything, Naya continued her rant, "I've got plenty of problems of my own to worry about… I want to help them, I do… but it's… it's just way too much. First Nate, then… then Heather happened…" Naya said sadly, but snapped out of her reverie when Lea raised a questioning eyebrow. "And now Mark. God Mark! He just… he's going to ruin everything. It's too much; it's just too much…"

Sometime during her spiel, Naya had stopped to support herself on the bathroom counter. Her palms were pressed against the cool marble top as she on clutched desperately to hold herself from collapsing. The Latina's head hung low and her shoulders slumped. She stared deeply into the sink wishing she could just drain herself away with the bubbles of soap and water. Lea took this as her cue and patted the torn girl on the back with a small hand.

Naya sniffled, trying to hold back inevitable tears. "Why, Lea? Why does he want to make me feel so miserable? Why did Mark have to go and fuck up everything?"

"What did he say to you?" Lea spoke quietly and with deep concern.

Naya's tired eyes looked into Lea's, "He told me he loved me…"

"Oh?"

"And I don't love him…"

"Oh…" Lea mumbled with realization.

"I could never love him because I… I…" Naya couldn't manage the words.

"What, Naya?"

Naya sucked in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. Her head hung back down and in a whisper, "Nothing…"

"You know, keeping this all inside isn't healthy, Naya," Lea spoke, trying to give the Latina the will to tell her what was going on. She squeezed her shoulder with reassurance.

"It's just… I've never liked Mark. He's always been more like a brother to me… I just dated him because it was what was safe and what I knew. I was so desperately looking for security. It was all just smoke and mirrors though… none of it was ever real. Now he's making me feel like shit. This plus everything else is making me feel so god damn weak. I'm so stupid for leading him on… God, I'm a bitch," Naya proclaimed, burying her face in her hands.

Lea's fingers smoothed down the kinks in Naya's hair. "You're not a bitch, Naya. You're only a bitch when you're in character," Naya let out an unconvinced snort. "Yes, what you did to Mark may not have been the most conventionally considerate thing to do… but you were simply trying to find yourself. That's the whole purpose of dating, to find what you want."

Naya peaked through her fingers and looked past her reflection at the caring woman behind her. She was thankful she had such understanding friends. They always seemed to have an answer for Naya.

"Well… I know what I want. I've always known… I just can never have it," Naya mumbled hopelessly.

"Hm. I don't want to seem like a downer or anything… but sometimes good people, _deserving_ people, don't always get what they want," Lea said, sadness was brimming in her words. "But we'll get through it. Life isn't over, Naya. You have friends everywhere you look… sometimes I feel like you don't always use them to your benefit."

Naya removed her hands from her face and leaned against the counter on her elbows and forearms. She looked to Lea who had simply rested her hands on Naya's tanned shoulders.

"I know… You guys are great. But sometimes… what I feel scares me too much to tell anyone."

"I know the feeling… But one day you're going to want to tell someone, and when that day comes we'll still be here for you. No matter what it is, it won't change anything," Lea said with a comforting smile.

Naya rose from her slouching position and turned to face the shorter girl, "Thank you, Lea. Not only from rescuing me from Mark, but also from preventing me from stabbing myself in the head with a fork. Things have just been ridiculous lately and there has just been so much to handle… tonight was just the last straw."

"What a horrible way to die. It's my pleasure though, Naya," she replied sweetly. Lea extended her arms outward and Naya fell into the open invitation. Lea squeezed Naya tight and gave her back a couple comforting rubs. When they pulled apart, Lea looked up at her knowingly.

"You know you're not as good of an actress as you think, Naya," Lea started.

"Are you trying to lower my self-esteem even more, Lea?" Naya retorted sarcastically.

"No. I'm talking about Heather."

Naya's face fell, all the small, playful humor wiped from her eyes. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled.

"Oh yes you do… I've gotta say, you were pretty good at hiding away your gawking stares. But your work is starting to get sloppy. The look is all too familiar."

Naya's eyes went wide. Her mouth opened and closed, completely lost of words and excuses.

"Listen, I'm not going to tell anyone, Naya… I just know…"

Naya was starting to find the back of her hand very interesting. She was finding it hard to look the other woman straight in the eye as she revealed her secret.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked timidly. She was deathly afraid of Lea's answer.

"Only to the trained eye," Lea said simply.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Naya pressed worriedly.

"Don't worry, Naya. No one else knows. Your secret is safe," Lea told her, ignoring the question.

Naya let out a sigh of relief. She had known too that she was getting worse at hiding the way she felt around Heather, but she had thought she had been convincing enough to get by. She truly hoped that Lea was the only one that had spotted the cracks in her disguise. The fact that Lea now knew about the secret Naya had been burying for the past two years made her feel another layer of lies peel off lightly. She still had a lot more covering her, but shedding off little by little was giving her some more room to breathe.

"Thank you, I guess is all I can really say… Thank you for keeping this to yourself. You're right though… I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to handle this. But I'm doing my best to let it go. I am letting her go…" Naya was reasoning.

"Easier said than done. I know… Believe me," Lea said, her eyes pondering back on something. Naya eyed her curiously.

"Wait... what?"

"Uh…" Lea was dumbstruck, realizing her slip-up.

"Do you also need to take something off your chest during this lovely therapy session?" Naya pried as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I… I just get it okay? I've been there… well, I still am there."

Then it hit Naya like a ton of bricks. _Duh, how did you not see it before?_

"It's Dianna isn't it?"

Lea mirrored the expression Naya had just conveyed only two minutes ago, the color draining from her cheeks. The smaller girl looked genuinely worried, her big brown eyes staring widely in sadness up at Naya. Her lips that were pressed in a thin line were quivering ever so slightly. The two had never been the closest on set, but they had always been friendly and comfortable around each other. Never have they had a deep conversation on such a personal level like this before.

Naya was suddenly seeing Lea in a completely different light. The realization was like wiping off a foggy window to let the sun shine through. The two ladies standing in the middle of the bathroom both found themselves swimming in the same pool of emotions. It was crazy how such independent, hard women could be so vulnerable and so weak inside. It mystified Naya how she never realized the girl's feelings for the sweet, blonde angel. Naya was piecing together little unexplained moments between Lea and Dianna and everything was beginning to make more sense. Dianna had just recently been involved in a rather serious relationship with some British dude that Naya had remembered visited on set when they were filming the "Toxic" number. She remembered Lea had kept herself off set as much as possible that day. She felt like they had been living the same story forever and finally were turning the pages at the same time. Naya gave Lea a sad knowing smile. She suddenly didn't feel so alone.

Before either of them could make out a word to break the eerie silence, the two jumped as they heard a thud against the door of someone trying to get into the locked restroom. After the thump obnoxious knocking soon followed.

"What the fuck? Why in the world is a public restroom closed? Open up!" Naya could instantly recognize the slurred, muffled words of the drunken version of Heather. Naya let out a sigh and closed her eyes while pinching the bridge of her nose. It's like reality swept back into her temporarily peaceful mind. Lea looked to her with a small encouraging smile.

"I guess we should probably answer that… We had to face it all eventually," Lea squeaked out, understanding they had to come out of their little safe haven.

Naya nodded as she walked to the door slowly. Her heels clicked in ominous echoes. Why did this all seem so familiar? She felt like she was always unlocking doors for Heather, but never letting her completely in. She took a deep breath in, readying herself to plunge back into her torturing world of lies. When Naya unlocked the door the beautiful, dead-weight dancer filled her arms, her knees and ankles in a mess beneath her. Naya was surprised she was able to catch the normally poised woman as she held her upright from underneath her arms. Heather's face had fallen on Naya's chest, her nose tickling the top left of her cleavage where the material met her skin. Naya's shivers from the dance floor started to resurface as Heather giggled immaturely. The brunette could smell the thick scent of alcohol on her breath. _Fucking Smirnoff…_

"So much for letting go…" Lea mumbled and Naya glared at her as she was snapped out of her thoughts. Naya turned back to the drunk blonde with concern.

"Are you okay, Heather?"

"Who me?" she said standing up straighter in the Latina's arms and pointed to her chest. "Oh yah! I'm Naya, great…"

Naya raised her eyebrows at Heather's word confusion. Naya heard Lea suppress a snort. "Are you sure? How much more did you drink Heather?"

Heather pushed herself away from Naya's supportive hold considerably annoyed by all the pestering. The blonde wavered dangerously into the bathroom.

"God! It's a damn party isn't it? Aren't people supposed to drink? I'm fine… all you guys are being such overdramatic penguin babies…" she scolded. Naya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and disbelief at Lea who just shrugged her shoulders.

"What? You guys don't believe me? Here I'll show you," Heather said. She started to touch her forefinger to her nose on target repeatedly, making her foggy blue eyes go all cross-eyed as the digit would come closer to her face. "See! I told you I'm fine…"

"Is that even a legitimate test?" Lea asked aloud, while Naya simply rolled her eyes at the blonde.

Heather started to tip over and Naya ran to her side again to catch her.

"Heather, you're yelling… we can hear you just fine. You need to slow down," the brunette told her knowingly as she held on to her arm, but Heather tried to brush her off again.

"I don't need your help! I told you I'm perfectly f-fine…" the color from Heather's face turned a ghostly white and she made a horrible gurgling noise which caused Naya to lean away slightly. "Oh… oh god…"

Heather put a hand over her mouth and flew from Naya and into an opened stall. Naya could see the crouching figure huddling over the toilet bowl as the distinct sound of vomiting ripped through the empty bathroom. Lea looked to Naya and the two simultaneously released a sigh. After a couple heaves, Naya followed Heather into the stall and placed a comforting hand on the small of her back. The brunette bent down on her knees to be level with her blonde friend. She started to rub gentle circles into her back and brushed at the sweat soaked baby hairs that clung on Heather's forehead. Heather coughed out all the contents in her stomach and the queasy sensation began to pass with every relaxing stroke of Naya's fingers and palms. When she had finished she leaned her head heavily into the crook of Naya's neck, making the smaller girl stumble onto her bottom. Heather didn't care as she further cuddled into Naya's body.

"I'm sorry, Naya…" Heather whispered as Naya threaded fingers through her set bun.

"It's okay, Hemo. You just went a little overboard… sometimes we all do…" Naya mumbled and Lea had poked her head in to peer down at the two intertwined figures.

"I'm so so sorry for everything… I hate it when you're hurt…" Heather sniffled. Naya bit her lip, her eyes tingling again. But she managed to hold her ground as she held Heather.

"I told you already, Heather. It's not your fault… none of it is ever your fault…" Naya spoke softly and distantly.

"You may want to flush that soon…" Lea suddenly spoke up. Then she whispered, "I think it's time to move on, Naya."

Naya reached over to the toilet handle and let it do its job. Naya knew Lea was right, it was time to move on. But as she sat on the cold tiled floor of a probably unsanitary women's restroom with the woman she loved fitting so comfortably in her arms, she knew it would be quite impossible to do so.


	8. Chapter 8

Rating: NC-17 (rating change just for this chapter)

A/N: This chapter is certainly a daring one, so I do hope everyone bears with me. I just hope you don't hate me after! I'm not sure if any Heya fics have done this before, so I'm praying I'm not pushing the line with you fans.

Anyways, happy reading!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 8<p>

For the first time in a long time, Heather was pretty sure she was snoring while she slept. She only snored when she was either dead tired or if she was completely wasted. In this scenario, both were true. Her body was strewn about the bed in a rather odd position that would seem uncomfortable to most. Her legs were spread apart and angled awkwardly while her left arm dangled off the edge of the mattress. Limbs bent in such angular positions made her seem like a crab with only four legs. The blonde didn't really care as she just wished to sleep forever. She hadn't had a clue of all the events that happened last night. All the little details and emotions smudged together… Heather only could pinpoint the presence of the musky smell of Nate, but more distinctly that cozy scent of Naya. _Mmm… Naya…_ Heather smiled lightheadedly into her pillow. She would worry about her foolish actions in the morning, as she was quite confident there were many. Now, she wanted to will herself back into a deeper sleep so she could dream of the girl in a place where no one would find them.

She knew she shouldn't be dreaming of her best friend like this… Fuck, she shouldn't be dreaming about her at all. Naya was confusing her brain which caused her brain to confuse her heart. She was having the worst time sorting out what all this meant. _Oh just stop thinking and sleep… _But before the snores could return, a fog horn seemed to blow off just when she swore she could feel Naya's creamy palms covering hers. She groaned loudly and pulled her pillow over her head in attempt to block out the deafening sound. As the sound was summoning her from her slumber, she started to feel her head begin to pulsate and her body feel oversensitive. _No fucking way it was already morning…_

Heather felt shifting next to her, the sheets pulling away from her body causing cool air to hit her bare back. Her eyes flew open and she was suddenly not so tired. Who did she leave the party with last night? She tried to recollect who brought her back home and who was now lying next to her in bed. Heather felt a familiar hand glide across her lower back, reaching awfully close to the cushion of her ass. She remained still and hidden underneath her pillow. She wasn't sure why she was hiding. Well, she was trying to block out the light and the shrieking noise of her alarm clock, but she shouldn't be hiding from her companion.

"Heather… I think we need to get up soon…" a recognizable voice grumbled, teasing Heather awake.

"Mmm… no," Heather mumbled into the mattress.

A low chuckle. "Come on, babe. Rise and shine…"

Heather pulled her pillow off her head in a fast, swift movement which surprised the figure next to her. She shot up, her hair disheveled and tangled over her eyes, and the comforter slid off her body. Heather fisted her pillow angrily, annoyed that she had been woken. She now noticed that she was completely naked as the chilly air of her bedroom tickled over her bare breasts, causing her nipples to harden. She was suddenly confused on where her clothes could have gone and then it hit her. _Oh shit…_

"I didn't mean that literally, babe… Aren't you just a sight in the mornings?" Nate chuckled at his girlfriend as he put heavy hand low on Heather's hip. He stroked his thumb where her pelvis and upper thigh creased together in her sitting position. It was daring closer to the flat part of her abdomen about two inches below her belly button. Heather looked down at where Nate was touching, and she was glad her annoyed grimace was hidden under that mess of blonde locks. She reached behind her and slapped her alarm off. She flopped back onto her bed. Her hangover was too large, preventing her to get ready just yet.

"Work sucks…" she moaned, childishly.

"As much as I would love for you to sleep in with me, you should get ready soon…" Nate said lovingly.

"Nuh-uh… you're my boyfriend, not my mom. Tell me to stay home with you," she said cuddling into his broad warm chest. Nate chuckled deeply.

"Ah, don't say that babe. I love your mom, but that's just weird… I wish you could stay home with me, but you know what you gotta do. You have to be the man of the house, since obviously I can't find a job," Nate said poking fun at himself. He pulled Heather in closer, savoring the feeling of her soft bare skin against his. It felt heavenly and he smiled. Nate continued to let his palm drift about Heather's slumbering figure.

"Shhh…" Heather hushed, pressing a finger to her lips. Her eyes were still closed while she spoke, "Use your inside voice… you're too loud…"

Nate smiled at his girlfriend's adorableness.

"And _you_ are hung-over…" he prodded.

"Again, stop shouting at me," she whined nuzzling her nose into his chest. He simply held her happily. He was the luckiest guy in the world, literally. Since they came home last night, Heather had been more than loving with him and he was forever grateful for whatever Naya did to knock some sense into his girlfriend. Even though she was drunk, Nate still appreciated the attitude change.

"Naya has some sort of magical power… Whatever she said to you last night really just made my life heaven again," Nate sighed contently with a smug smile playing on his lips. Heather's eyes shot back open and she sat up in Nate's arms, looking down at him daringly.

"What are you talking about?" Heather asked sternly.

"You know what I'm talking about. Last night… and how you completely rocked my world," he said jokingly and he squeezed her ass playfully. Heather swatted his hand away, stressing the topic.

"No, what happened with Naya?"

"Wait… Naya didn't talk to you last night?" Nate's voice switched back to serious.

"Was she supposed to?"

"Well, I assumed that… I, uh…" Nate fumbled a little.

"Nate, what did you do?" Heather interrogated.

"I just asked Naya for a little advice… She obviously did something, because last night babe… gotta tell you it's gonna be tough to top that," Nate said wagging his eyebrows up and down. Heather furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She sifted her mind through the faint images left behind from last night.

_Nate could not put his key in the god damn lock any slower. Heather's lean body was getting heavier by the second as gravity was further pressing her down into Naya's supporting arms. The smaller girl was practically carrying her as she held her drunk friend upright. Heather was on the brink of slumber as she mumbled warm incoherent words into the curve of Naya's neck. The Latina was surprised by her own strength to hold the blonde while simultaneously keeping her weak knees from buckling underneath her. Heather's soft, peachy lips were tickling Naya's pulse point and she was getting all sorts of dizzy; an effect much more potent than any alcohol she had ever had before. _

"_Hey… Nate," Naya said through gritted teeth as she shifted Heather's position to give her arms some relief. "Do you mind speeding this process up a bit? Your girlfriend here is gonna flatten me like a pancake any second now…"_

"_Sorry, had one too many Jack and Coke's," Nate slurred and Naya rolled her eyes._

"_I like Naya's pancakes…"Heather mumbled, and Naya felt her smile against her neck. Her warm breath hitting the sensitive skin there made Naya shiver. "Nate, you need to learn how to make pancakes like Naya. Yours taste like flat circles of chalk…"_

"_I'll make sure to work on that next time, babe," he grumbled as he finally unlocked the door and entered their house. Nate tossed the keys on the side table in the entryway and took off his jacket, not turning back to help the struggling Latina drag the drunken blonde across the threshold. _

"_Thanks for the help…" she mumbled in aggravation. Then she grunted louder, "Where should I put her?"_

"_Oh, on the couch is fine," Nate said rubbing his tired eyes as he plopped himself down on a lounge chair. _

_Naya shuffled their two bodies over to the couch. She tried as gently as she could to lay the girl on the plushy furniture, but Heather's dead-weight made her fail miserably as she was pulled down with her. The air was knocked out of her lungs temporarily as she was forced on top of her friend. They were a mess of tangled limbs and Naya tried desperately to recover. As she pushed herself off of the blonde, she was immediately pulled back down again._

"_Aw, Naya! I love you too!" Heather drunkenly exclaimed loudly. She flung her arms back around Naya's neck and pulled her close into her body._

"_Shhh... You're gonna wake up, Ashley. You know she'll pissed in the morning if you do," Naya whispered knowingly, their faces inches apart. Naya's chocolate eyes ran over every laugh line and crinkle of Heather's beautiful face. She had to bite her lip to prevent herself from smiling foolishly down at the sight below her. Naya knew what she had said to be a fact as she had gotten to know Ashley fairly well now. She remembered many occasions when she and Heather stayed up till the early hours of the morning watching movies and chatting away in this living room. Naya would always encounter the very grumpy roommate in morning. The sight was never pleasant on Heather's normally goofy friend._

"_Oh Ashley smashly…" Heather garbled as she swatted at Naya's nose. Heather attempted to pull her in closer, but Naya resisted as she looked over to Nate who was watching intently with sad, tired eyes. _

"_Okay… you definitely need to go to sleep," Naya said as she freed herself from Heather's torturing arms. _

"_I'll see you in the morning," Naya said making her way to leave. Then she turned to Nate, "Make sure she's okay?"_

"_Yeah… of course," he said softly. "Travel safe."_

_Naya nodded and gave a smile small. Before she could make her way to the door, she felt long, lovely fingers encircle her wrist lightly. _

"_Don't go…" Heather spoke in a soft whisper._

_Naya's breath caught and her face crinkled into an expression of pain. She was grateful she was turned away from both Nate and Heather. She didn't know how this whole moving on thing was going to work out, but so far it was pretty damn hard. She took a quick glance up at the ceiling before turning to face her sleepy friend._

"_I can't, the taxi's waiting for me outside. I said I would only be a minute," Naya replied in her best sweet voice, she wished Heather would free her._

"_Just stay the night… Nate won't mind. Right, Nate?" Heather called out to her boyfriend, her eyes glued to Naya. _

_Nate simply shrugged. "It's whatever you feel comfortable with, Naya."_

_Naya knew Nate meant what he said, but she couldn't help but feel that his eyes telling her otherwise. She glanced between the two tired figures. She would make the mistake of her life if she decided to stay. She couldn't give in. _Listen to Lea; you need to move on…_ Naya thought back to her friend's expert advice._

"_I really shouldn't, Hemo. We have a long day in store for us tomorrow and its best if we get the most rest we can." Before Heather could protest, Naya swiped her hand back and headed back to where she entered._

_Heather sat up watching her friend go and called out as the girl was halfway out the door, "Naya…"_

_Naya paused, hesitant as she felt pulled in either direction. She hated being so torn all the time. Fuck, she had to give this up._

"_Goodnight, Heather... and Nate. I'll see you soon," she spoke softly from the entryway and closed the door behind her, hoping she was closing two years of heartbreak._

_As she heard the door shut Heather laid back down slowly, almost mechanically. Her eyes were glued open, fixated on the spinning textures on the ceiling. Her drowsiness seemed to vanish as now she could only think about Naya's urgency to leave. She wasn't sure why it hurt so much when her friend walked out of the door. She knew she would see her tomorrow, but she had felt abandoned and forgotten. Heather had immediately missed her strong thin arms around her waist and her scent that wrapped around her like a blanket. She smelt warm and enticing, with a heavy essence of fresh raspberries mixed with coffee beans. There was an extra hint of something spicy in the way Naya smelled. Something like gingerbread cookies or cinnamon sticks… Heather thought it was rather lovely, and comfortingly familiar. Whenever she came across any of those elements in their physical form she was instantly reminded of Naya. Because to her the smell belonged to Naya and only she could own such a heavenly combination of scents. She felt a peculiar tugging at her chest and her tummy churned uncomfortably. _Too much Smirnoff tonight…_ she simply thought. Tonight had been a strange accumulation of events and she honestly couldn't remember everything that had happened or how many shots she had… _

_Heather pouted and strung her arms around her waist like Naya had when she carried her inside her house. It wasn't the same. She smacked her forehead and groaned in frustration. Why the fuck did she feel like this?_

"_Time for bed?" Nate piped up sensing her discomfort._

_Heather simply nodded and moved to get up. She was having a hard time figuring out where her feet were and the room was going in circles like a merry-go-round. Thankfully Nate helped her up. He guided her slowly and carefully up the stairs to the bedroom, a light hand at her back directing her the whole way. He sat her gently on the bed and proceeded to change out of his tired clothes. Nate had removed his tie and shirt when he turned to see Heather unmoving and staring off distantly._

"_You gonna change, babe?" he called softly over his shoulder._

"_Too lazy…" she moaned and she fell back, her body meeting the mattress in light thud. Nate chuckled and moved towards the exhausted Heather._

"_Come on… lemme help you. It'll be no use if you get this ridiculously expensive dress all wrinkled up."_

_He leaned down and slipped off her tall black heels. He worked his way up and pulled Heather back into a sitting position. Her perfectly twisted bun was now in a heaping hive on the top of her head. Nate smirked a little at his girlfriend's tired face and worn out expression. Heather lifted a heavy hand up to her mass of tangles and pulled at the ties and pins that held the exhausted strands up. Once all removed, Nate admired how Heather still remained glowing even through chaotic cascades of hair. If anything it just made her look more exotic. He ran his hands around her waist before unzipping the silver zipper at her side. The material that had clung closely to Heather's curves loosened considerably. Nate lifted her up off the bed so he could pull the article over her head._

_Brushing her thighs lightly he began to roll the dress up. Heather lifted her arms up in compliance as Nate pushed up the material over her breasts. Nate noticed Heather wasn't wearing a bra and it made heat rise to his cheeks and lust to his eyes. When the article of clothing was completely removed, he tossed in aside. _Fuck wrinkles, _he thought as he was now mesmerized by his girlfriend's taught body and plump breasts._

_Heather still drunk off her ass wasn't fully focusing on her boyfriend's evident needs. The look was all too familiar. Dilated eyes, sweat beading at his forehead, and an obvious bulge in his pants. Nate began planting kisses on her shoulders and along her neck, Heather simply clutched onto his shoulders so she wouldn't collapse from the spinning of the room. Nate read the gesture differently and continued roughly, rolling his thumbs harshly over stiff nipples. Heather, on the other hand, was still trying to battle away the images of Naya that kept on invading her mind. She wanted badly to forget about her and focus on the man she loved who was trying to arouse her body. But a large part of her didn't want to and wasn't letting her forget. Not completely aware what was happening, Heather simply let Nate have his way with her. _

_Rough, strong hands roamed invasively about her body as he pulled her flush into him. He frantically laid her back down onto the bed, his actions becoming sloppy with desire. He tugged down at the only garment that remained on her body, leaving her completely vulnerable. Nate straddled Heather's naked body, his erection pressing firmly through his pants against her abdomen. Heather let out an uneasy breath as Nate ground his hips into hers. He was a mess of moans and groans, and to be honest it was kind of boring the dancer. Heather knew he wasn't going to be able to contain himself much longer as he reached for his wallet in his back pocket. Heather's eyes were half open, but she could distinctly hear familiar crinkling and unzipping as Nate found what he was looking for. Nate's heavy body returned back onto Heather's except this time skin met skin. He leaned down to capture Heather's lips, but ended up crashing their foreheads together painfully. The two both scowled in pain._

"_Sorry…" Nate mumbled._

_Heather didn't have time to respond because Nate's lips were suddenly on hers. It was a slow and meaningful kiss. Heather felt that Nate was trying to tell her something as his lips glided effortlessly against hers. She felt his sadness and longing, as if he missed her. But she was with him all the time; he shouldn't be missing her… He flicked his tongue against her bottom lip, but Heather didn't grant him entrance. Every time Nate used tongue, it would always lead to a sloppy mess making her feel like she was drowning. She had told him out right before that she was simply not a tongue person, convincing him that such swap of saliva grossed her out. Really though it was because he never seemed to learn properly. And believe her, they've practiced plenty…_

_Nate finally broke the kiss just when Heather was sure she was going to blackout from the lack of oxygen. Her breaths were deep and long and Nate started to work on her neck again. He sucked and bit softly at her pulse point. Heather mentally frowned at the realization that a mark would be evident there in the morning, but her drunk self did nothing to protest. Heather furrowed her eyebrows trying hard to focus on the sensation. _Should she be trying this hard to be turned on? _She was getting nowhere. Heather started to think of images to get her hot and bothered. Through her "ways to get horny" flip book, Naya's adorable dance suddenly popped up out of nowhere. As the image swam in her mind, she let out a surprisingly loud moan. It was almost unearthly and the deep throaty noise shocked her. _

_She was confused to say the least, but being drunk and stupid she embraced the tactic, encouraging her mind to pull up more pictures of Naya. She knew she would regret this later, if she could even remember what happened in the morning. Nate had one hand squeezing her breast and the other fiddling with her belly button ring, all the while still making hickeys on her neck. Her moans became more frequent and more erratic as she was matching Nate's touches with the memories of Naya playing in her mind. Things were becoming much more vivid and all too real to Heather that it was beginning to scare her. Her potent memories were making her feel Naya's breath tickle her ear and her fingers thread through hers. She felt a finger slide over the now wet and overly stimulated folds between her legs. She let out a whimper and broken cry of pleasure. _

"_Oh god… H-Heather… you're so…" Nate couldn't finish his fragmented sentence as he gulped at the sight of his girlfriend. After all the times they've done it before, Nate had never seen Heather in such a state of complete need. Heather's eyes were squeezed shut and her jaw hung slacked. Her arms were positioned elegantly above her head, while her fists painfully clenched in a pillow, her knuckles resembling beads of white pearls. Heather's body writhed uncontrollably underneath him and he swore he had never seen her nipples so god damn hard. It made his growing member throb with need._

_Heather reached a hand up behind Nate's neck and pulled down so she could whisper in his ear._

"_Touch me, p-please," she said in a breath. They had never done this before. Whenever they had sex they had always done it the traditional way, never thinking to spice it up. He always thought that was enough. But sensing the distraught state Heather was in he complied to her wishes, hoping it would lead to his own relief._

_He brushed his fingers hesitantly over her slick entrance causing Heather to elicit a string of heavenly moans. He took it as a good sign and slipped in his index finger, finding it easy to slide in and out._

"_Oh…" Heather managed out as she clutched onto his back as if holding on for dear life. Nate began moving his fist back and forth focusing on the noises leaving his girlfriend's lips. He had never heard such sounds of pleasure in his entire life and he fed off it, quickening his movements. _

_Heather's mind was a whirlwind. What was happening to her felt like a mad rush, the alcohol still swimming in her clouded head was sending her into another world. She couldn't process the touches and strokes of Nate's finger completely; all she knew is that it felt so fucking good, according to her blunt drunken mind. She could feel herself building, the pressure in her lower abdomen getting tighter and tighter. Her mind, not able to function on multiple things at that moment, alternated between an image and a sensation memory. Her thoughts flicked between that day she caught Naya undressing and earlier tonight when the smaller girl swayed her ass into Heather's crotch. She froze that picture of Naya attempting to cover herself, tracing out the visual of the Latina's hardened nipples. Back and forth, back and forth; switching between the two moments. She knew she was about to burst. _

_She could no longer hold in her concealed cries._

"_Oh God… God! Jesus Christ…" Heather chanted, yelling the Lord's name out in vain. She couldn't give a fuck at that moment though._

"_Shit… Nuh… Na…" she began whimpering out uncontrollably. Nate couldn't hold out much longer. He needed desperately to feel his skin against hers and get some sort of relief soon. If he didn't, this was just going to be embarrassing._

_Images of Naya swam in her mind and she couldn't suppress the gasps that left from her lips next, "N-Nay… Nay… Oh God, please don't stop…" _

_Right as she made the plea, the finger was removed mercilessly leaving her body in a mix of heat and confusion. Heather was suddenly frightened as she realized her Freudian slip._

"_Fuck, Heather… I can't take it anymore…" Nate grunted as he thrust himself into her hot, wet center in one swift movement without warning. Heather gasped at being uncomfortably filled and stretched. She was thankful though as Nate didn't seem to realize her clumsy unrestrained moans. She found it a coincidence that the beginning syllables of Nate and Naya were so similar and she was genuinely grateful for that. That thought didn't last long as she had to bite her lip from crying out in pain as Nate was relentlessly pumping in and out between her legs. His breathing was heavy and uneven as every muscle in his body was being worked. Nate wasn't one for cursing, but whenever they had sex his mouth had a mind of its own. He was yelling out profanities left and right in between moans and breathing Heather's name. _

_Heather turned her face away from him and stared at her door. _Drunk sex isn't all what it's worked up to be, _Heather thought as Nate continued on thrusting into her. For some reason unbeknownst to her, unnoticed tears began to brim her eyes. She thought at first it was just her vision blurring up again, but then a bead of salty wetness leaked from the corner of her eye and hung on her lashes. _Why the fuck am I crying while we're fucking?_ Heather asked herself in her very inarticulate drunk mind. She tried to shake the feeling off, but the presence of sadness washed over her. She wished she were somewhere else… with someone else. And she knew she shouldn't be thinking that when she was having sex with her boyfriend. She loved him. She did…_

_Nate's movements became harder and unforgiving. Heather knew he must be coming close. He was gripping down on her hips so tightly she was sure handprints would be left in the morning. Moving his left hand he cupped underneath Heather's knee to spread her legs apart farther for more space for his pumping. Each penetration ripped through her, all the way to her heart. She tried putting her hands against his chest to slow down his movements, but it gave no such relief. If anything it just felt like Nate was going faster. She held back her tears the best she could, although she was sure Nate wouldn't notice. _

"_Oh God…" she whimpered in pain, waiting for it to be over. Nate took this as a moan of pleasure._

"_You like that baby?" he managed out between breaths._

_She bit her tongue. She wanted to say no. Oh how she wished she could say no, but she didn't. She knew she couldn't, she shouldn't. Blinking back tears, Heather remained silent. She lay motionless, never matching the feeling Nate had when he found his sweet release. Before sleep overtook her body, she made a wish into the darkness that she would forget everything that happened that night. _

"Heather? Hello in there?" Nate waved his hand out in front of Heather's face trying to bring her back down to Earth. Heather's sparkly blue eyes were far away and confused.

"Oh god…" she groaned as the memories from last night developed ever more distinctly. She was mostly embarrassed as the images of last night hit her in waves. She buried her head in the palm of her right hand while her left ran through the thicket of her hair in confusion. She could not fathom how stupid and clumsy she had been. It was a public event for fuckssake! How could she be so irresponsible? Heather couldn't recollect all the little details, but she could remember a distraught Naya looking after her for a large majority of the night. She would have to apologize…

"Babe, you okay?" Nate asked sitting up and cupping her cheeks. Heather pulled away in annoyance. How dare he take advantage of her like that when she was drunk? Granted she did feel a little guilty that she had been thinking of someone else while they were doing it… someone she should have _definitely_ not been thinking of. Nonetheless, that would have never happened if he just let the wasted girl sleep it off. She needed to figure out what all this meant, if she wanted to figure out what it meant. This was all scaring the shit out of her.

"I just need some space Nate…" she mumbled.

He let out a frustrated sigh. She was quite aware she was confusing him, but let's face it she was a hundred times more confused than he was.

"Is this about last night? I thought everything was okay?" he said rubbing the back of his neck.

Heather looked up at him with slight disbelief, "You do realize I was drunk?"

He let out another sigh and clenched his jaw.

"I can barely even remember half the fucking things that happened… and it was in front of everyone too…" Heather exclaimed in shame.

Nate moved so he could wrap his arms around his girlfriend. Thankfully she didn't refuse his comfort this time. She willingly sunk into his strong embrace and just wished things would be normal again. She hated feeling so out of her body; it was like being a teenager all over again. Nate placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"I think we just need to take some time to relax. We've both been so on edge lately. With you and everything with Glee, and me with trying to find a job… It's been a lot to handle…" he reasoned quietly into her blonde locks. Heather simply nodded.

"Maybe… Maybe you should invite Naya over?" Nate suggested hopefully, retreating back to his initial plan. He prayed that the small brunette would know the cure to his puzzled girlfriend because he had ran out of all the remedies out of the book. He thought maybe some girl time would be good for Heather.

"Yeah?" Heather looked up to meet Nate's ocean blue eyes. She was intrigued by the idea and couldn't help but feel a little helium balloon rise up in her tummy. Time with her friend made he feel all warm and comfortable. Maybe Nate was actually right.

"Yah," Nate confirmed. "You can invite her over tonight, I'll get out your way and you two can have the house to yourselves. Well, and Ashley too. You ladies can have a little sleep over or something," he chuckled.

Heather smiled at him with daring eyes, "You know we're not fifteen anymore right?"

Nate let his low laugh rumble from his throat.

"I know… sometimes I kinda wish we were. Things were so much simpler back then…" he pondered sadly.

"We gotta grow up someday, Nate," Heather spoke softly. Nate simply nodded, staring off ahead of him.

"What are you going to do tonight then? Sleep out on a bench?" she joked.

"My cousin has poker night tonight. He's invited me every week since I got here, but I've never gone because I like to be home with you. Guess it's the perfect occasion to go visit part of the family, however distantly related they are…" he smiled.

Stroking a thumb along her jaw, Nate brought his lips down to Heather's. His lightly brushed against Heather's wonderfully soft ones while he watched her eyes flutter close. Nate savored the sensation and wished they could stay this way forever. Simple. That's all he wanted, to be young careless kids in love again.

"I love you," he whispered, meaning it with every ounce of his heart.

A quivering smile tugged at the corners of the blonde's mouth.

"I love you too…" she whispered back as she watched the early rays of the sun growing brighter through the shades of her window. The light beckoned her to take on the day and to face the one who was making her heart tumble in somersaults.


	9. Chapter 9

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 9<p>

Heather Morris was on a mission. She made the familiar path out to Naya's trailer wanting to clear things up before her work day started. It was oddly chilly for early September in Los Angeles, or maybe her body was still over tingly as a result from last night's alcohol intake. Her head was still pulsating and her eyes were stinging from the seemingly brighter than normal sun. Heather's sunglasses were making no improvements in the matter, but she remained focused on her mission. Naya had been lingering on her mind since she woke and she needed to get her alone so she could function properly. After Nate forced her to get out of bed and prepared her a large cup of steaming coffee she realized how much time she had wasted away. Having to be on set in thirty minutes was a trying task with morning L.A. traffic. She had haphazardly thrown on whatever garments were in reach, grabbed a pair of dark shades, and ran for the door. In her frenzy she flew by Nate's awaiting kiss goodbye and depressing attempt to improve his pancake integrity.

On Heather's schedule for filming was "River Deep, Mountain High" during the morning session and "Sing" in the afternoon, so it was a lot of sitting around and supporting the rest of the cast… and Naya. Heather knew Naya should already be on set. Lately, the cast would learn the choreography or do a run though in the early morning if the number would be filmed that day. It meant longer days, but they had already gotten used to the system. Whenever Naya had an early call, it resulted in an extra drowsy and jello-brained version of the Latina. The endearing look always had an effect on Heather.

This episode was big for the both of them. Even though Heather had filmed the Britney episode and Naya had sung tidbits in numerous numbers, the Duets episode felt like the one that counted. The two were finally getting official storylines. This was something they couldn't have fathomed when they first started. It was just wishful thinking. Heather had to sit down sometimes to take in the reality of everything. She was looking forward to having her plotline so closely intertwined with her best friend's. However, part of her wanted Brittany's character to branch away from Santana eventually. She wanted Brittany to make her own identity as an individual and not be constantly connected to Santana. Nevertheless, reading the script made the blonde jittery knowing that the two would continue to work closely together and in a more significant context. She couldn't imagine not working with Naya… Filming this week was going to be ridiculously entertaining as she would be spending most of the time on set with her favorite person in the world. _Well, second to Nate… and Mom_, Heather tried to reason.

As she approached Naya's door, she suddenly felt lost in what exactly she intended to speak to the girl about. She simply stood in front of the entrance as she tapped her chin in thought. She didn't want to just go in with no purpose this time. There were so many important things she wanted to tell Naya she didn't know where to start. She ran a hand through tousled locks. _First things first… Apologize, then go from there. _Heather nodded and rapped lightly on the door. No answer. Heather rolled her eyes. _What a surprise. When does this girl ever answer when I knock on the door lately? _

Heather twisted the knob which easily opened the door. Of course the door was unlocked. Heather was starting to think Naya was having some serious issues with learning how to lock doors. She never thought such a simple, daily task could be so difficult. Heather chose not to burst in as she decided every time she did so it never led to a happy Naya. She poked her head around the door, half expecting Naya to be partially clothed or dancing around adorably.

The state Heather found Naya in happened to be last one she was expecting, but it was certainly one to make her smile lovingly. Heather could decipher the sight of the slumped figure of Naya Rivera, cheek firmly pressed into the surface of her cluttered dresser in a deep slumber. She prodded in on tiptoe and softly clicked the door shut behind her as to not wake the sleeping lioness. Heather knew waking up Naya while she was in a much needed nap was just asking for a lecture and a heated glare for the rest of the day. She slipped off her sunglasses as her eyes comfortably adjusted to the light intensity in the trailer. As quietly as she could she approached her sleeping friend and pulled a chair over to sit close beside her.

Unconsciously, Heather leaned an elbow onto the dresser and rested her cheek in her palm. She watched admiringly as her friend slept, a coy smile playing on her lips unknowingly. She didn't care if this was total creeper status, she was swept up in the gentle hum of Naya's even breathing and how her eyes were rolling about under her closed lids. Heather could see that Naya's face was planted against her script which was covered in post-it notes. She never knew why Naya took so many notes and why she couldn't just write them straight on the thing. She always had the weirdest excuses…

"_I told you, Hemo… It's like a souvenir. I don't want to ruin it with crabby writing and highlighter marks and whatever else you do to yours… You gotta save it for memories because when is something like this ever gonna happen again?"_

Heather's smile grew at the memory. Naya had some strange habits; however this one made some sense to the blonde. After all when does something like Glee come around every day? Naya's mouth was slightly agape, sending small puffs of warm air at a bright pink post-it note, making it flutter with her breathing. She was wearing her glasses which were dismantled crookedly on her nose. Heather couldn't help but notice that Naya's eyes looked rather puffy and her nose a slightly darker hint of pink, like she had a cold or bad allergies or something. Naya's left arm was propped next to the back of her head while the other dangled limply off her dresser. Heather stared at her hand, those hands that she had dreamt about all night. She gulped and couldn't resist herself. With her free hand she gently took Naya's wrist pulling the puppet like limb into her lap. She looked to Naya expectantly, thinking the gesture may wake the sleeping beauty. Her features remained unchanged. She lay the Latina's palm face up on her jean clad thigh as her fingers traced random shapes into that unbelievably soft skin. Heather slowly weaved their fingers together into a comfortable clasp. It was strange how absolutely perfect it felt holding hands with Naya and it freaked Heather out a little.

Heather let out a long frustrated sigh as she rubbed at her tired eyes. She laid her arm flat against Naya's dresser and rested her head on her bicep continuing her gaze upon her friend. Heather rubbed lazy circles on the back of Naya's hand. She had no idea what was going on here or if Naya was sensing some sort of difference as well. Heather of course wasn't going to bring it up. That's just stupid and it would make things awkward. She didn't want to scare her away, especially when she's so dependent on the woman. Still, the whole thing was nagging at her. It wasn't normal. There had to be some way she could get a sign from the girl.

With her stretched out arm, she tangled her fingers into Naya's dark mangled hair. She would twirl a lock around her finger and then rake her palm through the soft mane. Naya stirred and Heather watched her eyebrows knit together. However, it didn't make Heather stop. Naya's heavy eyelids slowly fluttered open to reveal tired, red orbs. Her eyebrows wove together tighter in confusion as she woke to wide crystal blue eyes staring back at her. Confusion was replaced by sadness as Naya's eyes glistened with tears again, knowing this had to be a dream. No way in the world would she ever get the luxury of waking up to Heather's lovely face with fingers combing through her hair and pale palm holding her tan one with such care. Heather's blue eyes filled with worry due to Naya's sullen and disappointed expression.

"Hey, you okay?" she spoke softly as the pad of her thumb stroked soothingly over her temple near her puffy eyes.

"This is a dream," Naya stated matter-of-factly.

Heather gave a small giggle, "Do you need me to pinch you?"

"Maybe… but I don't think I want to wake up yet," she mumbled sadly.

"Then don't. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Okay," Naya whispered contently as her eyelids drifted to a half close.

"Tired people deserve to sleep. Nate unfortunately doesn't believe in that…"

_Nate? Nate? _Naya's eyes flew back open. She jolted up right, causing Heather's hand to be pushed off forcefully from her head and taking the script with her. It seemed to plaster itself to her cheek. Naya's glasses were further skewed, hanging on the tip of her nose and she looked around confused. She had to blink a few times, her eyes still blurry and swollen from crying last night. Naya didn't sleep at all. When she got home she stripped down and submerged herself under the hot spray of her shower until it burned. She stayed huddled under the artificial rain all night long unable to sleep or move or do anything but cry. She was so fucking sick of crying. Naya was hoping this was the last of it. She certainly felt drained out.

So she came to work this morning exhausted, but ready. She was ready to let go of all this shit and she thought she was doing fairly well until she woke up to the worst yet most wonderful thing possible. Heather sat up too watching Naya curiously. _Why is she so on edge?_ She couldn't help but smirk a little at her friend as a trail of papers was formed from the post-it attached to her cheek to the thicket of the rest of the script still remaining on the messy dresser surface. Naya looked simply precious.

"Wow. Couldn't be more jealous of that post-it there. I would say it got a good amount of Naya kissage judging by all that wet residue," Heather mocked jokingly as she rested her cheek back into her hand again.

"Are you implying that I drool?" Naya asked with a sarcastic cold expression, the sheets of paper rustling with the movement of her jaw.

"I'm implying that I'm wondering what it would be like to kiss you…" Heather slipped, Naya's eyes widened. Heather tried to patch her sloppiness, "What I mean is I was wondering if leaving your significant other in a mess of slobber is your thing."

Heather tried to keep her cool, but she could feel a blush creep up her neck.

"Ew. Clean is key in kissing… Unless you're absolutely ravenous," she added truthfully. She decided last night that she wasn't going to let things like this faze her anymore. It was the only way she was going to get better. So she was going to reply back honestly and without hesitation. _No more stuttering Naya…_

"Mmm… sounds like my kinda kisser," Heather tried to play along in order to cover her mishap.

Naya eyed her suspiciously, pursing her lips. _Was she… flirting?_ Naya clenched her jaw worriedly. It couldn't be the case, Heather was just messing with her head like she always did. Naya had to pull herself together and she had found a good method to do so was by thinking of Nate. Yes, thinking of Nate always put her back into place. Nate is Heather's _boyfriend_. Naya wouldn't let herself forget that. He was good for her. She was suddenly aware that their hands were still nestled together in Heather's lap and she quickly withdrew it. Heather couldn't help but feel a little dejected by the lack of contact. She looked down at her now empty hand. Heather was having the worst time connecting all these puzzle pieces, she hated the feeling of being so incomplete.

"Ha… right," Naya brushed off dismissively as she tugged away the script from her face. She peeled off the post-it note that was still glued to her cheek and she wiggled her lips left and right to adjust her face to the new found freedom. She rubbed her sniffling nose that felt twice its size from last night and at her sullen eyes.

Heather looked back up at Naya and smiled widely.

"Hey, Nay?"

"Yeah?" Naya asked ruffling a hand through worn out hair and adjusting her glasses.

"You got a new tattoo."

"What?"

"I know you're a big fan and all but… uh… don't really know how the producers and Ryan will feel about that one," Heather piped with a smile tapping her cheek in reference to the letters imprinted on Naya's face.

Naya turned and looked into her mirror to examine the excess ink that had been left behind from her post-it. The letters scrawled in Naya's handwriting etched the word 'Brittana' faintly on her skin. Naya lightly grazed her fingers over her left cheek, outlining the letters. Heather was right. Naya was a pretty big fan of their characters' relationship. She just thought it made perfect sense that they be together and she was hoping that they would delve into that side of their untold story. When she read the script for Duets she couldn't be more pleased. It looked like a great start for the two cheerios to form a potentially beautiful relationship. It was something that the fans wanted, so it made Naya want it even more.

"Personally, I think it suits you," Heather added playfully, eyes sparkling. Naya turned to Heather and glared.

"Makeup would just take longer if they had to cover another one of my tattoos…" Naya spoke simply, turning back to her mirror and vigorously scrubbing at her cheek with her palm till it turned a bright red. "You're right though. Ryan would be pissed."

"Whoa there. Don't wanna scar that pretty face of yours," Heather took Naya's wrist to stop her aggressive attack to remove the pen marks. "Do you not see that we are surrounded by tons of makeup kits?"

"I have no idea where the makeup remover is," Naya said dully, trying to ignore the presence of Heather's gentle grasp around her wrist, even though she was blatantly staring at her slender digits.

"Well, if you cleaned up a little here you may be able to find it," the blonde joked as she rummaged through various bottles and brushes until she found what she was looking for. She unscrewed the bottle of remover and dabbed the liquid onto a Kleenex. Heather was about to bring the damp tissue to Naya's cheek when swift fingers swiped it out of her hands, doing the task herself. Heather simply stood there dumbfounded with her hands still outreached.

"Thanks…" Naya mumbled. "I always lose stuff in this sea of crap cause of how much makeup I need. And God knows I need tons of makeup…" Naya spoke, shooting herself down.

"Stop that. You don't need it… They're just stupid and don't realize that natural is much more beautiful," Heather spoke softly and she unconsciously reached out and tucked a dark lock behind Naya's ear. Naya turned to her cautiously. _Why the hell is she doing this to me?_

"Whatever…" Naya brushed it off, and Heather's frown deepened. As she wiped away the last of their characters' mash-up name she asked, "Did you need something?"

Heather cleared her throat and rubbed at her temple as her headache was creeping back.

"Um… I-I actually came here to apologize." _Why was she so nervous?_

"For what?" Naya asked sitting back down and picking up her now cold Pumpkin Spiced Latte to take a sip.

"For last night… It was really immature of me to do what I did. I should have never let it go that far and if I did anything that pissed you off or hurt you…" Heather paused; she so wished she could remember _everything_ that happened last night. "I'm sorry. I hope you're not angry with me."

Naya bit her lip. She could never really be angry at Heather. Yes, sometimes she got frustrated with the girl, but never had she ever felt anger towards her.

"Of course I'm not angry, Hemo. It was a party; we were supposed to have fun. I mean just think of all the times I've done fucking stupid things when I was wasted. It's not a big deal…" she told her, honestly.

"It is for me… It's so embarrassing… and I have no idea what I even did, Nay," she said smacking her hand to her forehead.

Naya was going to take a risk; she had to if she was going to get herself through this. Naya placed a hesitant, reassuring hand on Heather's forearm. _See, you didn't die._ Naya gave herself a mental high-five.

"Heather look at me," Heather did as she was requested. "Sure, you may have done some things that… Well things that you shouldn't really brag about, but it happens to everyone."

Heather rolled her eyes.

"No, Heather. Literally, you're still perfect. You really can do no wrong," Naya was pretty proud of herself. She had done nothing but tell the truth so far, even so she still didn't feel much of a change in herself or the situation. Instead of keeping everything inside, she was just verbally announcing it. Wasn't it supposed to make her feel better?

"Stop it, Naya. Come on. You and I both know I fuck up all the time," Heather told her looking back at her with her head cocked lopsided.

"Well, whoever said that was a bad thing? Because I think your fuck ups are simply amazing," Naya joked. Heather chuckled and rolled her eyes again.

"Ouch… don't make me laugh… Headache," she mumbled between chortles as she rubbed at her temples and held her sides. Naya couldn't help, but smile when Heather laughed.

"There you go. That's your punishment. Don't you think you a hangover at seven AM in the morning is enough to learn your lesson?"

"Do you?" Heather cornered her. She just wished Naya could tell her everything that happened last night. She so wanted to read the girl's mind.

Naya bit her lip and then simply shook her head, refusing to go down that path.

"No more open bars for you," Naya lectured. Again it was the truth… but maybe not the whole truth.

Heather and Naya's attention were stolen from each other as the door handle shook, but refrained from letting the person enter. Soon after there was a knock. Naya's eyebrows furrowed.

"How did you get in?" she said getting up to answer the door.

Heather shrugged her shoulders up, equally stumped. "It was open when I tried."

"Someone seriously needs to fix this door," as she unlocked it to a reveal a flustered Lea.

"Naya," she nodded swinging past her and letting herself in.

"Please do make yourself comfortable," Naya remarked sarcastically.

"Heather?" Lea said stopping halfway in when she saw the blonde.

"Hey, Lea," Heather greeted sweetly and gave a small wave.

Lea turned back to Naya and lifted a questioning brow. Naya simply rolled her eyes and brushed past her, returning back to her seat next to Heather. Lea continued to look between Naya and Heather, with that questioning eyebrow lifting higher and higher. It actually looked a little freakish how high it was going. Heather looked to Naya and mouthed, _Is she okay?_ Naya cleared her throat.

"Lea? Is anything wrong?" she asked through gritted teeth. She wanted her to stop the girl's evident awkwardness. The small soprano blinked a few times before answering.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you…" she took a quick glance at Heather, the blonde didn't notice. "About something."

"Uh yah sure. Go ahead," Naya made a gesture with her hand to continue.

"It's something I'd rather speak to you alone, Naya," she said folding her arms across her chest. Naya glared at her with daggers. _Unbelievable. _She swiveled towards Heather and looked to her apologetically.

"I guess I'll see you on set?" Heather looked between Naya's honest chocolate eyes and Lea's frazzled demeanor. She couldn't help but frown inwardly. She felt like the two were keeping something very important from her, and she hated herself for assuming the worse. She was suddenly jealous of the tiny brunette.

"Sure," she said shortly and rose up out of her chair and walked towards the door. She stopped suddenly between Lea and Naya, turning back around.

"Oh, one more thing. Nate's got this poker thing tonight. You should come over, stay the night, like old times. Just you and me… well and Ashley," she said smiling that beautiful genuine smile. Naya looked back at her blankly, searching for an answer. Naya felt frozen, she didn't want to get sucked in again, but she didn't want to let down Heather.

When she didn't give one, Heather spoke, "So… yes?"

"Uh…" she looked at Heather, being persuaded by those wonderful blue eyes was so easy. But then behind her was a frantic Lea, shaking her head vigorously and giving her the death glare. She was making the cut sign across her throat, as if Naya didn't already know this would only lead to worse things. She knew who she should listen to, but her heart couldn't help herself.

"I would love to."


	10. Chapter 10

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 10<p>

Naya Rivera probably looked like your typical creepy, world-class stalker. She would open her car door, stepping out with a bowl of her famous guacamole dip and a bag of chips when her heart would start racing and she had to jet back inside to calm herself down again. She had done this about four times now, each time either coming out with her snack or a bottle of wine. She couldn't decide which was more appropriate. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel, every now and again opting to smack her head against the rubber to knock some sense into herself. She was being so immature. Wasn't she over Heather? She thought she had established several times now. Naya looked from across the street to Heather's house. Naya couldn't let go. She rubbed her eyes under her glasses as her burgeoning headache pulsated wildly along with the thrumming of her heart. If only she could listen to the wisdom of Lea…

_"Um, so what exactly happened to plan 'moving on'?" Lea inquired indignantly tapping her foot. She looked so disappointed. Correction, she _was_ disappointed._

_ "I know, I know! I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me. I mean how in the fucking world do I say no to that?" Naya gestured in frustration to the door Heather just exited from._

_ "Naya… it's easy. You just say you have plans! You're busy, you're tired, you have laundry… How difficult is that? But no, out of all things you say 'I would love to'?" Lea spoke exasperated._

_ "Okay, why don't we try having Dianna come in here and beg you to stay the night. Would you be able to say no?"_

_ "That's… T-That's irrelevant…" Lea said folding her arms over her chest defensively._

_ Naya rolled her eyes, "My point, exactly."_

_ "Look. The difference is Dianna doesn't ask me to come over like that anymore. I've distanced myself enough for her to realize it's pointless," Lea stated matter-of-factly. She continued on, bitterness brimming her words, "She's too sucked in to that pompous British asshole to even realize I'm here… Naya, I'm just saying this to protect you. The fact is the more serious Heather gets with her boyfriend, the more she's going to forget about you. You have to prepare yourself for this. It's inevitable. You told me you didn't want any more heartbreak, don't you think all this is just rubbing salt into a healing wound?"_

_ Naya remained silent, her throat closing up as she tried to swallow. Lea was right… Heather was going to let their friendship fade eventually. She couldn't hold on to this fabricated hope forever. It was draining and pointless, but she just couldn't help herself. _

_She finally managed out, "I know what I'm doing…"_

_ "I know… Just… Just be careful. The longer you let yourself fall, the harder it is for you to get back up."_

Lea's words rung in her ears. Naya frowned as the digital clock on the dashboard ticked away. She'd been glued to the seat for approximately eleven minutes now. Yes, she was officially a creeper. She would be freaked out too if she spotted some weirdo camped out in front of her house. Normal people don't do this… She had promised Heather she would have been here a half an hour ago, but she decided to take the super long way. She needed some time to think and mentally prepare herself for a full night of Heather. She felt like this was a test. If she passed she will have officially moved on and she could rub it in Lea's face that she had done so. Maybe the abnormally tiny brunette would be proud.

Naya let out a very long, subdued sigh and turned her head to the passenger seat where her wine and chips lay. _Decisions, decisions… You need to make one eventually Naya._ An alcoholic beverage was probably not the smartest gift to bring on this occasion as Naya remembered what happened last time the drink was involved. She knew she would not be able to handle a touchy, intoxicated Heather for quite some time. So, chips and dip it was. After all, there was nothing better than high calorie junk food at a sleep over. Naya smirked a little as she was reminded of her fifth grade sleep over parties.

It took two more times going in and out of her car, but she had finally willed herself to ring the doorbell of the Morris and Lendzion residence. She bit her lip anxiously. She desperately hoped Heather wasn't wearing those adorable boy shorts she normally did when she slept. It would just drive the poor Latina insane. It was pretty chilly tonight, Pumpkin Spice Latte and cuddle weather worthy. She could only wish the dancer was wearing sweats or something. Then again Heather was always hot, and in more than one way…

Naya's drifting thoughts were interrupted as the door swung open. She let out a breath of relief as a tired Ashley opened the door. The comedic brunette seemed just as pleased to see Naya as she grabbed her wrist and tugged her in.

"Thank God you're here!" Ashley exclaimed dramatically, pulling a surprised Naya across the threshold and slamming the door shut behind them. No way out now.

"Is everything okay?" Naya asked, a little winded. Her question was ignored as Ashley became distracted by the beckoning dish in Naya's hands.

"And with the amenities to win over every fat girl's heart," she said with a huge goofy grin on her face. She took the bowl and chips from Naya's grasp. "I know what I'll be doing all night… making love to these glorious mouthfuls of heaven."

Naya followed Ashley further into the house as she made her way to the kitchen. Naya kept her eye out for the blonde, but she didn't see her anywhere; however she could distinctly hear her voice vibrating throughout the halls. She furrowed her eyebrows in puzzlement as Ashley continued to rant about Naya's 'Godly ways of guacamole'.

"I wish you would come over more often… not that I actually miss you or anything, but so you can just bring me your awesome food," Ashley joked sarcastically as she placed the bowl on the counter and searched for another one for the chips.

Naya gave a snort, "Aw gee, I've missed you too, Ash."

"Oh yah, I know. Everyone loves me," she says with a smirk as she scooped up an inhumane amount of dip onto a tortilla chip.

Naya shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"God… seriously Naya," Ashley managed out through crunches. "You are never leaving this household, ever. Dead serious. You are officially going to sit here and make me this fucking amazing guacamole every day."

"What can I say? I'm the queen of guac," Naya said through fits of laughter.

"Amen to that, sister," Ashley said taking another chip. "But really. I haven't seen you around in ages, Naya. I know this because you used to live here more than I did. Why the distance?"

Naya suddenly couldn't look the other girl in the eye. She examined the back of her hands and she tried to answer as convincingly as possible.

"I… have been busy. Work has been hell these days…" _It's a legitimate excuse._ Naya reasoned with a frown. She was thankful that Ashley bought it.

"Tell me about it… I've been stressed with work. Heather's been stressed with work. Nate's been stressed trying to find work… This house has not had the happiest campers lately," Ashley chirped lightly. "I think we've missed you lighting this place up a little. Maybe try not being such a stranger and show your face in here every once and a while?"

"Yeah… I'll do my best," Naya replied, giving a small smile.

"You better. I mean I can only do so much for, Heather. I do my best to try and relate, but with all the popularity… she's just been kinda a mess."

"I've heard…"

Naya and Ashley exchanged a knowing look as they both said, "Nate."

"Yeah… the kid's sweet and all, but he just tries way too hard," Ashley told Naya.

"But he loves her. At least he_ is _trying…" Naya spoke head down.

"True… but there's a point where it becomes just too forced, ya know?" Ashley said taking another chip. Naya didn't say anything, she simply pondered on what Ashley had said. Maybe there was more trouble in paradise than she thought. She hated herself for feeling a glimmer of joy from the idea. Hey, a girl can dream…

"Actually, I'm really glad you're here tonight. Heather's having one of those rare outwardly mental breakdowns. You know, the ones that happen every once in blue moon for her… ones that I have pretty much every day," Ashley thought the last part to herself.

"What's going on?" Naya asked, now a little worried. She could hear Heather's voice growing louder, indicating she was getting closer.

"Just see for yourself," Ashley gestured behind Naya, as she took another whopping amount of guacamole.

Naya turned just in time to see Heather walk into the kitchen, talking in frustration into the cell phone pressed tightly to her cheek. The blonde was frazzled. Her hair was constricted into a messy ponytail and her eyes matched Naya's, looking tired and sunken. Much to Naya's dismay, the trim dancer was of course wearing the sheerest tank top ever made and her adorably short plaid boxer shorts. To top it all off, she was wearing mismatched argyle socks; one significantly higher than the other. Heather must have a thing for argyle and it just made her so much cuter… Naya suddenly wished she was blind as she gulped at the lump in her throat. Heather's legs looked longer than ever and her arms as gorgeous as ever.

"Mom… can you please just listen for one second please?" Heather breathed out in frustration as she stared up at the ceiling and placed her other hand on her hip. _God those hips…_ Naya thought as she shook her head to snap out of it. She really had a lot to work on if she was going to best Lea.

"No… No! That's not what I meant…" Heather let out a sigh and rubbed at her eyes. When she opened them, her gaze met Naya's and the Latina could see them instantly soften. Heather's lips curled into an inevitable smile. She was so thankful Naya was here, she couldn't think of anyone else she needed more at that moment.

Heather shuffled over to Naya and laced their fingers together for the second time that day. Naya looked down at their locked hands, mesmerized by the amazingly soft touch. She looked back up at Heather who exaggeratedly gaped her blue eyes wide at her. She swiveled the phone away from her lips as she whispered near Naya's ear a raspy, "I need you!"

Naya was instantly taken. It was official. She had already lost and thrown in the towel as Heather's warm breath still tingled on her cheek. She repeated the words over and over again in her mind. She definitely stored that one in her brain for later use… Oh how she so wished to hear Heather pant those words in her ear in a bed, with her fingers… _Shit._ There was no way in hell Naya could ever return back from this. _Fuck! No stop! You can do this. You are fucking Naya Rivera… you can do anything you want. _ She tried her hardest to give herself a pep talk. Maybe Lea was right… she shouldn't have come tonight. She felt disoriented as Heather pulled them away from the kitchen. Naya gave a hopeless look back at Heather's roommate.

"Have fun!" she simply chuckled holding the bowl of guacamole securely in her arms as if it were a child. She gave Naya a quick wink as she popped another chip in her mouth. All Naya wanted to do was die.

Naya followed Heather like an obedient puppy as she clambered up the stairs to Heather's room. Their hands remained linked together the entire journey up. Naya was having a hard time with her footing as there was nothing but Heather's ass in her line of view. She wanted to close her eyes or look away, but that would just be stupid and result in her falling on her face. Naya knew it was rude but she couldn't help herself as she diligently eavesdropped on Heather's phone conversation with her mother. Heather's short tone seemed out of place. Naya knew how much Heather admired and looked up to her mother. So it was an odd occurrence to catch Heather in a dispute with her number one fan.

"It's not even that long, Mom… it's like fifteen seconds tops. It's not like we're getting married or anything…" Heather rambled as they reached the second story of her house.

Naya's eyebrows rose together in confusion and she couldn't help but feel a little surge of worry at the word 'married'. She was suddenly scared the topic was about Nate. The entire statement as a whole was sending Naya's brain in circles as she tried to figure out what it was Heather was talking about. She hated assuming things, but it was difficult when she couldn't read Heather's face. All she could read was Heather's ass… which wasn't a bad alternative she had to admit…

"Okay, okay… I realize that wasn't funny," Naya could hear sarcasm in Heather's voice. "No, I'm not trying to be smart with you. I'm just trying to—"

Heather was silenced and Naya could hear Mrs. Morris jabbering away on the other end. Heather opened the door to her room and smiled sweetly to Naya as she politely ushered her inside. The blonde gestured for Naya to sit on her bed while she quietly shut her door.

"No I get that—" Heather tried again, but was again interrupted. She took the phone off her ear out of hearing reach and looked to Naya. She let out a long sigh and rolled her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to Naya before placing the phone back to her ear. Naya simply smiled understandingly and waited patiently to be informed. Suddenly Heather's face contorted into one of anger and her voice rose in defense.

"Hey, that is not fair! That's my best friend you're talking about. I'm not doing it with some random stranger…" Naya was pretty sure she had never seen Heather's gentle blue eyes glower so dangerously. What in the world was going on?

Heather walked over and threw herself next to Naya on her bed, forcing her to shift over a little so she wouldn't get smashed. Heather's bed was like a massive pillow, and Naya hated how the blonde just had to sit as close as humanly possible to her. The dancer situated herself by bending her legs in impossible positions and Naya couldn't fathom how she could be comfortable. She marveled at the girl's flexibility as all she could do was simply tuck her knees under her chin.

"Mom… Can you please just listen? It's part of my job, it's only one scene, and it's not a big deal," Heather had repeated for the millionth time, but she was just not having it. Naya looked to Heather as she finally understood what she was talking to her mom about. Heather must have finally told her about 'the scene' that was scheduled to be filmed this Friday. By the sound of it, her mother obviously wasn't taking it well… Naya knew that the family had a very heavily influenced Christian background, but she hadn't realized that same sex relationships were such a sensitive topic for them. She always thought of Heather's mother as open-minded and loving from the few times she had met the woman. It wasn't that Naya thought any differently of her; she was just surprised and now worried. She couldn't help but feel utterly terrified. What would her mother think of her if she ever found out her feelings for her daughter? Naya could only imagine it would go down like during the cavemen times of the fifties or something and the family would condemn her to hell.

She placed her spinning head gently in her hand as she blinked her eyes in terror. _What would Heather think? What if she feels the same way about gay people? _Naya shuttered and swallowed the ginormous knot in her throat at the thought. It was true that she wanted to get over Heather, but she didn't think she could handle it if she hated her.

Heather sought out her hand again and Naya looked back up to her. Heather's face was crumpled in a way that Naya could only describe as disappointment. She hated that frown on her face; it just didn't suit her features well. Naya squeezed her hand supportively and Heather clutched on in response.

"It's just Naya though, Mom… You know Naya… I mean I've had to film things much more risqué than this," Heather mumbled sadly. Naya could hear faintly in the dead silence of the room Heather's mom respond, _It's not the fact that it's Naya, honey. It's the fact that she's a girl… _ The words made Naya's heart tear apart. The tiniest amount hope she had before had now officially dissolved into nothingness.

"How is it different than kissing a guy?" Heather retorted. Naya bit her lip.

"Mom… you're starting to sound like, Nate…"

"No!"

"So it's okay that I make out with a ton of guys on TV and that my character has slept with the entire student body, but it's not okay that I have a fifteen second kissing scene with Naya? It's just a kiss!"

"Okay, yes… I did say that we were on a bed, but–" Heather squeezed Naya's hand again. She felt useless and awkward listening to a conversation that half dealt with her. Heather remained silent for a few moments as she listened to what her mom had to say.

Suddenly, Heather burst, "It doesn't even matter cause I don't even like her like that!"

Naya flinched at the words that harshly left Heather's lips. She didn't realize how many times her heart could break in one day. It had to be some sort of world record… She averted her eyes away from Heather, who instantly noticed Naya's downcast expression. Heather shifted so she was sitting on her knees and took her hand away from Naya's to cup her cheek. Naya flinched again by the unexpected gesture. Heather turned her face so she was forced to look deeply into those sapphire jeweled eyes. The blonde shook her head frantically as if she was trying to tell Naya something in which Naya couldn't understand. All she knew is that Heather probably could see the broken sadness in her eyes, which made the blonde furrow her eyebrows and look to her apologetically. She opened her mouth to whisper something to her when her mom must have made another remark that pushed her buttons. It forced Heather to turn away as she barked a reply.

"Why do you care so much? What if I really did like Naya, Mom? What if I told you right now that hey you know what, I like girls! And I'm totally gay for Naya… wouldn't I still be your daughter?"

The Latina gave a little smile as she could not be more proud at what Heather had just said. First off, she said 'gay for Naya', which thus caused fireworks to explode off in the back of her mind. The statement made her feel smug, even though it obviously didn't mean anything. She was also relieved from her earlier worry of Heather's position on homosexuality. She made a daring move and placed a comforting hand on Heather's thigh. Heather recognized the action as being friendly. The two always had that similar mindset when they knew what the other person meant without having to say a word. This was one of those cases. Then the tides turned yet again as Naya could distinctly hear from the other end of the phone, _Heather Elizabeth Morris! Don't you raise you're tone with me! How dare you suggest a lie like that…? _Mrs. Morris continued on, but Naya didn't care as she was too focused on Heather who seemed to be shattering by the second. She looked like she had instantly regretted what she had said.

"Okay, okay… I apologize; I know that was out of line. I'm sorry. But Mom, you don't understand. And you know what," Heather paused and took a deep breath in. Naya squeezed her thigh. "I don't expect you to anymore. I'm going to defend this till the end. Can you at least support me though? This is my job. It's something I have… _want_ to do. This is what I've dreamt of. I just wanted to call you and tell you because I thought you would like to know before it aired or anything…"

Heather twirled her ponytail around her finger as she listened to her mother's last remarks. She only nodded into the phone and gave a few more yes's and no's before she finally said her goodbyes.

"I love you too, mom… I know, I will. Sure I'll tell Nate you said hi… Do you wanna say hi to Naya?" Heather added as she looked up at Naya who shook her head furiously. So vigorously that she almost caused her glasses to fly off her nose.

"Yeah she's right here… Yah she's been here for like fifteen minutes now… Mom, she doesn't care… Mom you _know_ Naya."

There was some chatter on the end of the line that Naya couldn't make out and she watched as Heather chewed at her peachy lower lip while she was being lectured.

"Fine… I'll just tell her. Everything's okay right?" A pause.

"Okay… I miss you too. And mom?" while Heather spoke she looked directly at Naya as if speaking to her. "It's just Naya, okay? I trust her."

Naya's lips stretched into a quivering smile as she felt warmth spread through her chest and a blush creep to her tanned cheeks. Contentment was what she felt, even at the end of this tiring and rather overwhelming discussion where she wasn't allowed to butt in a single word. Heather couldn't have been more saint-like at the moment. Naya admired the way she was defending her and their character's relationship. She couldn't have said it better herself. Like a savior, she could do no wrong. Naya knew she would regret coming over to Heather's house, but like always she couldn't help herself. She loved her.

"I know…" Heather said and she spoke softly in a whisper into her phone. Her eyes never leaving their intent gaze into Naya's. "I love you too."

Naya's breath caught in her throat. Heather had always made her breathless, but this time Naya actually feared the lack of oxygen going to her brain would make her pass her out. The girl managed to steal her heart time after time, running away too fast with it in her gentle palms. Naya could never keep up. She swallowed slowly, as that was all she could really do. She tried her hardest to wrap her head around the words that left Heather's lips and how her eyes still remained fixated on Naya's. Heather clicked the end call button on her phone, not allowing Naya the pleasure of being freed from her gaze. She placed her hand back over Naya's that still remained on her thigh. She let her fingertips caress lovingly over her knuckles and joints.

Naya's lower lip was starting to tremble violently as she was overcome with emotion, forcing to take it between her teeth and suck on it. _You're just desperate, Naya. Stop over thinking this. She loves her mom, she loves Nate… she _does not_ love you._ Of course Heather didn't love her. Not like _that_ anyways and she never will. The day Heather told Naya she was _in_ love with her would be the day that Brittany and Santana profess their undying, eternal love and elope in Vegas.

Heather let out another heavy sigh as she closed her eyes and drew a long breath in through her nostrils. She caught a hint of wafting raspberry, cinnamon coffee that was Naya goodness and her chest felt a little warmer. She could wrap herself up in the way Naya smelled. It should be made into a candle and burned constantly. She slowly lay her body down onto her bed, as it sunk snuggly in fit with her form. Heather drew up her knees, curling into a ball as her argyle clad toes played with Naya's. Her hand remained unmoving as she held Naya's firmly against her thigh. Heather shifted her head so she could look up at Naya who gazed back down with care in her eyes. She gave the smallest smile, trying to reassure Naya that everything was in fact okay. Nonetheless, Naya needed to make sure.

"How are you?" she finally managed to ask in a croaking whisper.

It took a few seconds for Naya to regain her speech as she finally was allowed to breathe again. She choked a little at the rush of new oxygen.

"I'm scared…" Heather spoke honestly. Naya nodded understandingly as she watched Heather's nimble fingertips toy around her ring finger.

"But I'm feeling better by the second," she added in a soft voice, her small smile growing larger. "I'm happy you're here."

"I'm always here when you need me," Naya breathed out wearily. Heather frowned slightly at her tone and Naya didn't like that.

"You were late. You're never late when you come over," Heather simply stated sternly.

"I…" Heather was right. Naya was normally never late for their cheesy little sleepovers, but it was the hardest thing to will herself over tonight. She was still unsure if she had made the right choice… She wracked her brain for an excuse. "_You just say you have plans! You're busy, you're tired, you have laundry…" _

"I had to wait for my laundry to finish…" Naya blurted randomly and Heather's eyebrows raised and then furrowed in confusion. _Laundry? Laundry? What the fuck? Really Lea?_ Naya threw around a couple more curses in her head.

"Laundry?" Heather repeated slowly.

"Uh yeah… It was a pretty big load…"

_Wow. You are the lamest of all lame things in the world, Naya Rivera. _She mentally slapped herself.

"I'm sorry… I should have been here earlier. You shouldn't have been alone when you were going through that…" Naya apologized, thinking back to the awkward phone call.

"I'm not asking you to apologize. It's not your fault. Maybe if I wasn't so afraid of what other people think I would have been able to manage through it…"

Naya looked down to her and her eyes carried all the sincerity in the world as she said, "Stop that. You don't need to be scared… you are so brave you know that?"

Heather gave a small snort, "How did any of that make me brave? I should have told her about it when Ryan first announced it at Comic Con… I couldn't do it though. I mean, I knew she was going to find out eventually and I didn't want her to find out by watching the damn thing. I thought it would be easier this way… but I guess I thought wrong."

This time it was Naya's turn to frown. It hurt to hear Heather's voice fill with disdain every time she spoke about filming the scene. It was so blunt and harsh, like when she yelled that she could never like Naya in that way to her mom. Well, Naya wasn't looking forward to do the scene either, but it was because of very different reasons. Heather's tone sounded so unenthusiastic and it all made Naya's broken heart hurt even more. This was just further evidence in this court case that proved Heather could never love her. Naya had known the verdict for two years now… but it still sucked.

"Well… like you said… it's only what? A fifteen second scene? Hopefully we can just get it in one take. I've got that Stand Up to Cancer telethon thing to go to, so the faster the better right? Minimize the suffering…" Naya muttered downheartedly. Heather's frown deepened.

"Who said anything about suffering?" Heather asked, thoroughly confused as her eyes still looked up at Naya. Naya could feel the soft pads of Heather's fingertips etching out hearts on the back of her hand. She didn't understand this girl.

"I don't know… When you talk about it, you just sound uncomfortable with the whole thing. I just thought that—"

"Why in the world would you think that?" Heather said looking at her with serious blue eyes as she lifted her head up slightly from the bed. "No. Naya, if I was going to do a scene like this with anyone I would want it to be with you. It's true that I that I think any kissing scene is sorta awkward, but I don't know… With you I think it would be kinda fun."

Heather was unconsciously staring at Naya's lips. The Latina lifted her eyebrows in question.

"I mean, any scene I have with you, you always make it so entertaining. And after reading the script? It's going to be so hilarious. Not to mention I always have a tendency to feed off your energy and I just… I know you. So it _won't_ be awkward with you Naya. You're the one person I trust doing this with."

Heather's jeweled orbs pierced through Naya who could only manage a small smile. She again had lost her breath. It didn't help that Heather's fingers had stopped tracing hearts and were now trailing up and down Naya's arm. They paused every now and again at the joint that protruded out from her wrist. Heather had always been fascinated by Naya's wrists. She just loved how that little bone poked out; it was an odd fetish.

"I don't want you thinking I don't want to do the scene because of you. That is _definitely_ not the case. It's just something I never prepared myself for. And having it displayed to the entire world on top of that…" Heather said quietly as she rested her head back down. Her eyes turning distant and slightly misty, Heather murmured, "Well… I just never saw it coming."

She was completely fixated on fiddling with Naya's wrist bone. The brunette let out a shaky breath.

"I don't think any of us really did, Hemo. But this is what I— the fans wanted…" Naya corrected herself quickly with a cough. Heather didn't notice, _thank God…_ "Everyone else who doesn't understand will come around eventually."

"I care what she thinks of me, Nay…" Heather spoke distantly as she thought back to her mom.

"I know…" was all Naya could say. She understood how highly Heather respected her mother and she knew it was hard. With Naya's free hand, she brushed at the bangs that had fallen into the blonde's eyes, and then gave soft strokes against her scalp. She would go to the end of the world to comfort Heather.

Heather's fingers had stopped in mid-caress. In a shaky and uncertain voice she asked, "Do… Do you think she'll hate me?"

This caused Naya's movements to stop as well as the protective best friend side of her kicked in. Moving on impulse, she shifted quickly so she was lying on her side facing Heather. She instinctively cupped the worried blonde's cheek with a gentle palm so their eyes bore straight into each other's. Naya was completely unaware of how bold her actions were, but it didn't matter. She knew Heather would do the same for her. The close proximity was making Naya's head swim in the familiar overwhelming scent of fresh honey and maple syrup.

"Hey… listen to me," Naya started in a gentle sincere voice. "She's your mother, Heather. She could _never_ hate you… hell, no one could ever hate you. She's just worried about you and concerned for your reputation. The only reason why she may have been hesitant in accepting the situation is because she cares about you."

Heather snuggled closer into Naya, pressing their foreheads together. She closed her eyes and simply let Naya's soothing voice wash over her.

"She loves you, Heather," Naya stated finally. "Something like kissing a girl won't ever change that."

Heather nodded, bumping their noses together and Naya's lips spread into an encouraging smile.

"She'll understand eventually. Just give her time."

"Yeah… Yah, I know…" Heather managed out, her breath tickling Naya's cheeks. She removed her hand from Heather's face to lay it back down on the bed. Before she could, Heather caught her fingers and interwove them, settling them between their bodies. Heather let out a final frustrated grunt.

"I just hate feeling this way," she said looking up to brown eyes.

"You're going to be fine… just pretend I'm Nate or something…" Naya suggested quietly as she tried to smile.

Heather scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Why would that help anything? When it comes to kissing, Nate is nothing to brag about…"

Naya leaned her head back a little and gaped at her friend.

"Um, this guy is your boyfriend right?" Naya joked. "I mean, you guys have been dating for how long now? Shouldn't you have mastered the aspect of kissing?"

"Kissing isn't everything in a relationship, Naya…" Heather mocked, but she bit her lip in slight embarrassment.

"I would beg to differ. Kissing is like…" Naya paused to think of the appropriate analogy. "…going to Disneyland."

Heather broke into an aggressive fit of laughter, causing her to throw her head into the pillow and roll on her back. Naya's cheeks began to hurt from smiling so wide at the sight.

"It is!" Naya defended.

"Wha… What? How in the world is kissing like going to the 'Happiest Place On Earth'? I do not see the relationship," Heather made out through giggles.

"It's like this…" Naya started to explain happily. She was excited that she was able to make Heather laugh. "You know how whenever you went to Disneyland as a kid, all the anticipation makes you just full of jitters and excitement. When you get there, it's always _so_ magical and every time you have a different experience. At the end of the day, when you realize you didn't hit all the rides you wanted to go on you find yourself wishing you could go back again.

It's the same thing as kissing… When you're about to kiss that someone, your heart does little flutters and you can't stop yourself from smiling. All you want to do is keep kissing that person because you know it will be amazing and every time you feel a little different… a good different. So it makes you want to come back for more. Kinda like an addiction… an addiction to lips," Naya concluded, her smile ever growing as Heather simply gawked at her reasoning.

"So… what you're really trying to say is, when you find someone you love, kissing them is like crack?"

Naya snorted and shook her head. "Why do you always make fun of my elaborate metaphors? You just made it sound so uncool."

"How can I make something uncool when it already was?" Heather shot back with a playful smile dancing on her lips.

"Touché. Thank you for that," Naya chortled sarcastically.

"You're welcome," Heather joked, and her smile faltered slightly. "Maybe the reason why we've lost that spark is because I've been the bad kisser…"

"I highly doubt that," Naya slipped automatically. _Jesus… Control yourself!_

Heather squinted her eyes and pursed her lips in that adorably inquisitive look. Naya's heart was starting to thrum faster against her chest.

"And how would you know?"

"Uh… um… Well, I don't actually, but… I…" Naya fumbled miserably. She felt put on the spot as a single eyebrow started to rise and Heather's lips curled into a devilish grin.

Naya took a deep breath to gain a little more composure as she chided playfully, "I guess my mind is just really hoping you're not a bad kisser… That would just make my Friday horrible."

Heather rolled her eyes and then spoke lowly, "I'll do my best not to disappoint."

She licked her lips dramatically and tickled her toes against Naya's. It sent the two of them into a small fit of giggles, making them feel like a couple of thirteen year-olds.

"Better not, I have high expectations," Naya continued to play on. "Don't forget to chew on lots of mints and gum."

Heather scoffed, "I think I chew enough gum for the both of us."

"This is true," Naya admitted. They took a few counts to settle down and Naya caught herself staring doe-eyed at the blissful blonde. She looked up to the ceiling.

"Naya?" the blonde spoke, looking fondly to her friend.

"Hm?"

"Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

Heather paused, closing her eyes while inhaling a large gulp of lovely raspberry, cinnamon coffee. She opened them and stared up at Naya through her lashes while her lips struggled to contain her mischievous grin.

"When we film Friday, don't look too eager…" she said, her smile breaking out into a full beaming grin. Naya scowled and flicked at her arm teasingly. "Hey! I know how much you wanna get all up on this. I'm just trying to save you from embarrassment in front of the crew."

"Oh shut up," Naya shot back with a smile as she pushed Heather away, causing her to roll back flat against the bed. She had somehow migrated seemingly close during their conversation. Naya really wished she would shut up. The girl was making this unbearable as all Naya wanted to do was pounce her. Heather beat her to it as she flounced back, swinging one of her long beautifully toned legs across Naya's body. She was trapped under her straddle, their bodies firmly pressed flush against each other. Naya felt nothing but wonderful heat. Heather's tank top had risen slightly, exposing some of her midriff. The warm flesh seemed to burn through the single layer of Naya's cotton shirt. The blonde was leaning on both her elbows that were propped near the sides of Naya's head, forcing the Latina to see nothing but curious yet confused, blue eyes.

She leaned in close to her face, eyes set on Naya's plump lips when she whispered, "I know you're just dying to kiss me."

_Why the hell is she doing this?_ Naya whimpered in her mind as she swallowed slowly.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself now," she spoke in a raspy breath as her throat was closing up. Things were turning deathly serious as she tried to hold on as tight as she could to the last of their playful bantering. It was no hope, as she felt one of Heather's hands twirl at her strewn about hair. If her heart wasn't pounding before, it certainly was now as the vibrations seemed to shake her rib cage. The low drumming was the only thing she could hear.

"What… What if…" Heather couldn't finish her statement as she was completely distracted by that perfectly billowing pout. There was something about Naya's lips that made her mind go fuzzy, much like it had the night before. She was acting based on what her heart and body was asking her to do, blatantly ignoring the shouting in the back of her brain. Whatever this was, she wanted to solve it right here. Heather was tired of all the toying and teasing, but she was also terrified. She had always been confident with her choices, but this was different because this was Naya. She didn't want to ruin anything.

Naya chewed at the corner part of her lower lip, causing the left side of it to puff out lusciously.

_Fuck it._ Heather thought. Trusting where her heart was leading her, she dipped down lower when the flesh slipped from Naya's teeth. Naya's eyes were searching Heather's frantically as her mind raced at what was happening. No way was this real. It had to be some really vivid dream or something… It was when Heather's nose nuzzled against Naya's lightly that she had to speak up; even though she wished she could just let Heather continue.

"Heather?" Naya moaned out desperately. Heather stopped, noses caressing lovingly. She looked into Naya's eyes which were glazing with building worry and sadness. Heather furrowed her eyebrows at Naya's frantic orbs.

"W-Why? Why are you doing this?" she pleaded sadly.

"I don't know…" Heather whispered lowly and truthfully. She honestly didn't. She had no idea what was happening to her or their friendship. What she did know is that she really just wanted to shut Naya up so she could feel those teasing lips against hers.

Heather continued her descent as Naya parted her lips to make another plea. To her dismay her voice was caught as she sucked in the same air Heather was breathing. In all her life, she had never been this close to Heather's face before. Naya could see every little fleck of color in Heather's darkening blue eyes. Weak and unable to control anything, Naya watched as Heather's perfectly peachy lips inched closer to hers. _Is this really happening?_

Heather swiped her tongue quickly over her lower lip just before they were hovering about a hair above Naya's. Naya could simply lift her chin to solidify the kiss, but Heather wavered. The smaller girl could practically feel the contemplation radiating off the dancer above her. She hesitated a second too long as the door swung open loudly, dissipating the mood.

"Okay you two… So I really hope you don't want any of this heavenliness, because there's not much left and—" Ashley was smacked in place as she realized she was interrupting something intimate. She couldn't help, but let a smile creep on her lips.

Heather hazardously flung herself off the shocked Latina when she heard the door open. She managed to fumble off the bed rather ungracefully in a heavy thud as her body lay in a heaping mess on the ground. Naya had shot up too in a sitting position, pulling her knees up to her chest. She brushed her fingers through her tangled hair, proceeding to pick at the ends so she wouldn't have to make eye contact with either of the girls. Heather finally got up and adjusted her disheveled tank top and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the floor. The two tried their best to act like nothing had happened, but failed miserably. Ashley saw right through all of that. After all, she was an actress too.

"Some sleep over, hm?"


	11. Chapter 11

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
><span>Chapter 11 (The Sleepover Continues!)<span>

_"Some sleep over, hm?"_

She raised a chip to her mouth slowly, breaking the eerie silence with her crunches. Both girls couldn't manage to say anything as Ashley eyeballed back and forth between the two of them. Heather subtly stole a peak at Naya through her eyelashes. Naya was huddled into a ball as she rubbed at her forehead, her eyes wide and frantic. _Oh shit… I totally freaked her out._ Heather cursed. She clenched her jaw and had to refrain from running back to the broken girl to hug her and explain everything that just happened. Well, she actually wasn't sure what happened… She had no idea what came over her. What scared her was that she wished Ashley had never walked in. She wondered what events would have escalated if she hadn't. Heather gulped nervously at the thought.

Suddenly Naya sprang up from the bed, surprising both of the other girls.

"Yeah… some sleep over…" Naya agreed quietly. "This night has just been sorta crazy, right Heather? We've just been… weird over work… and… stuff…" she mindlessly babbled as she got up and moved towards the door. Sensing her escape, Heather spoke up.

"Naya?" Heather tried getting the girl's attention.

"Hey, you know that bowl looks like it's almost empty," Naya pointed to the bowl of chips cradled in Ashley's arms. It was still halfway filled. "Lemme just go downstairs and refill that for you."

Naya roughly snatched the dish from a stunned Ashley, who had a chip hovering just above her mouth waiting to be eaten. She was already out the door, when Heather looked to Ashley sternly. Her roommate threw her arms up defensively.

"Naya, wait up… You don't have to do that…" Heather called chasing after her.

"No, no… I don't mind at all. It's the least I can do…" she spoke frantically as she entered the kitchen and began to pour the remainder of the chips inside the now overfilling bowl.

When Heather bounded into the room after her friend, she watched as Naya's hands were shaking uncontrollably, trying her best to prepare more of the dish. She haphazardly emptied out all of the contents into one large bowl, making the amazing snack look like a messy heap of crap. Naya glanced around the kitchen, clearly avoiding Heather. She aimlessly proceeded to clean up around the kitchen, a kitchen that wasn't hers to clean. Heather instantly recognized Naya's frazzled state. She slowly approached her, gently reaching out for her hands to calm her down. Naya flinched and abruptly stepped out of touching reach from the blonde whose face crinkled in sadness.

"Naya, stop. You don't need to do this. You're _our_ guest. Can… Can we just talk about this?" her voice audibly lowered as she trailed off with her request.

"Th-there isn't anything to talk about…" Heather furrowed her eyebrows deeply at her. She couldn't help but feel hurt by how her friend chose to ignore the matter. "And I don't mind. I enjoy cleaning… and… and…"

By now, Ashley had also stepped in and watched the scene unfold. Naya was aggressively trying to shove the empty chip bag into a crammed garbage bin under the sink.

"Nay, please…" Heather pleaded as she tried to approach her again.

"Don't, Heather…" the brunette said quietly, pausing her movements as Heather stopped a foot away from Naya. "It's okay… everything is fine. Your trash can is full though… I'll go take it out."

Naya heaved the overstuffed bag out of the bin and made her way to door.

"Here, let me…" Heather tried to pry the bag from Naya's death grip on the black plastic, but the Latina protested again.

"It's fine, Heather. I got it…"

Naya struggled to open the door having to tug several times in order for it to unlatch. She could hear Heather following down the hall, so she quickly made the decision to spring out of the house and close the door behind her. As she stood on the welcome mat of Heather's household she realized that in her frenzy, she had forgotten her shoes; the cold air biting at her toes.

Heather stood in front of the closed door, staring at it dejectedly. She contemplated if she should go run after the Latina or if she should just give her some space to think, for both of them to think. She wished she could go back in time to fix all of this. She couldn't stand Naya acting this way. The problem was if she could go back, she wouldn't have changed anything. That being said, she had no idea what all this meant.

"You know… staring at it isn't gonna make her come back any faster."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? She won't let me near her," Heather replied back, eyes not leaving the door. Heather reminded Ashley of her old golden retriever who used to sit next to the door like that whenever her dad went out to get the mail and forgot to take her.

"I don't blame her… you practically chased her out…" Ashley chirped sarcastically.

Heather folded her arms across her chest and turned slowly to her friend. Her eyes were deathly.

"I'm sorry that I'm worried about my friend?" Heather spoke coldly.

"Hey, now… I'm totally the insignificant third-party in this situation. I'm just saying that you should give her a little space. I mean after the position you two were in…" Ashley referred by positioning her fingers in a way that they looked like they were straddling each other. Heather rolled her eyes. "She may need some air so she could remember how to breathe properly again."

"This isn't a joke," Heather retorted.

"I never said it was! I'm just saying that you probably sucked the life out of her thus causing a lack of oxygen reaching her brain. Maybe that's the reason why she was having a poor time making out her sentences…"

"She was reacting normally… I was the one who wasn't thinking straight… This is all my fault," Heather said pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Okay… Baby steps now… Let's not take all the blame here. Think of the whole situation, Heather. Maybe she wanted it too?" Ashley suggested.

"Ashley, she's straight… and so am I! Fuck… this is just ridiculous…" Heather threw her arms up in frustration.

"You guys didn't even kiss. Calm down…"

"But we would have if you hadn't walked in!" Heather blurted exasperatedly. Her brain was sending her in circles.

Ashley stayed silent for a few seconds as she asked carefully. "Do you wish I hadn't?"

Heather looked up to her friend as she opened and closed her mouth several times. She was lost for words. She had already asked the question herself and she didn't have an answer. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"I-I don't know…" she said shakily.

"Ah… I see…" Ashley replied as she approached her friend and placed a comforting hand on her forearm.

"She's one of my best friends… I don't want to lose her."

"How are you losing her? You don't even know what she's thinking yet woman! You two really need to calm down and just talk through it. Am I really the only sensible one here? Both of you are such drama queens… you'll sort it out," Ashley told the downcast blonde. "And Heather?"

Heather looked back up to Ashley's twinkling eyes.

"It's never good to put labels on anything, just remember that."

Heather smiled weakly back at her friend and gave a small nod.

"Oh and next time you decide to get all steamy with your girl, put a sock on the door or somethin'… I don't want to walk into anything more graphic than this because I'm sure she's way more flexible than Nate."

Heather swatted her hand away and Ashley crinkled her nose at her, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Don't say these things when I don't even know what's going on! And she's not my girl, Ash…" Heather said, although she now had an awfully dirty image in her mind.

"Okay, okay… Well, I do know one thing. I know for a fact that it doesn't take more than five minutes to walk to our trashcan and back and that's if you're going at my pace."

"So?" Heather said not understanding Ashley's point.

"So… it's been a good eight maybe ten minutes? Naya's been out there for a while now… just hope she didn't leave or anything," Ashley hinted. Heather's eyes widened with realization as she turned quickly on the pad of her foot causing her to fall clumsily into the door. She managed to grab the doorknob and yank the door open. She ran out into the cold air, forgetting shoes as she yelled out, "Naya!"

Ashley watched her normally poised and graceful friend fumble through the entrance. She gave a little chuckle at how weird it was that everything Naya related made the elegant dancer so sloppy. She made her way back to the kitchen to finish of the rest of Naya's guacamole dip.

"Ah… love. Certainly a beautiful thing," Ashley shook her head as a goofy smile played on her lips.

Naya prodded over to the large trash bin that was at the edge of the driveway. She balanced on the balls of her feet, trying to minimize the amount of contact between skin and cold gravel. She opened the lid and tossed the sack of garbage carelessly. The night air wasn't icy cold, but it was the wind that made the hairs on Naya's arms raise with growing chills. She looked back to the warm and inviting glow of Heather's house as she shivered. She needed to take a few moments to cool off though. If she rushed things, she knew her head would explode and she would do something she would greatly regret later… She paced back and forth along the pearly white of the sidewalk pavement, trying to gain some heat from the little movement she was making.

After two minutes of simply memorizing the cracks in the cement she finally allowed her brain to think again. She was confused… to say the least, but she was going to think through this calmly and collectively. She had to be mature about it… but how could she be mature about it? Her best friend whom she's loved for at least two years now _almost _kissed her. Who could be rational during a situation like this? A multitude of emotions were radiating off her body at that moment that she didn't know which one to embrace. Heather seemed to be pulling her in all sorts of directions that she was making it impossible for Naya to know what she wanted. She had no idea if all the teasing these past couple days meant something, or if it was just another one of Heather's plots in trying to destroy the little that was left of her heart. What happened in Heather's room all seemed rather made up in Naya's head, like it was just another one of her fantasies. She couldn't remember the events that led up to that moment. But it did happen, because she could still clearly remember the warmth of Heather's body on top of hers and the tingly goodness of her light breath caressing her lips. It was definitely real…

_She tried to kiss me…_ Naya thought, a ridiculously stupid smile spreading on her lips as her pace had slowed to a glide.

She _tried to kiss me… It was all Heather. I didn't do anything. Maybe… _she began to think; she placed a palm over a blushing cheek as her smile grew wider until she heard a voice which eerily resembled that of Lea's.

_Don't you dare! She has a boyfriend, remember? Why would she give up something so easily for a relationship that is so unpromising? _Naya frowned as she sat down on the edge of the curb, her ass numbing on the frozen-like surface. She buried her face into her hands.

_But… doesn't this mean… something?_

_No, it doesn't. Do you want to be the cause of the end of a beautiful, healthy relationship? You could ruin her life, her future, her chance at happiness…_

_Don't I deserve to be happy too?_

_Of course. But happiness doesn't roll on top of you in a moment of vulnerability and sadness. It's never that simple._

"Why can't it be?" Naya mumbled into her palms. She sighed and looked up at the sky and she scowled in frustration.

"What the fuck is going on?" she spoke up to which ever higher power was listening.

"Naya!"

Naya turned her head to the panicked voice that called out her name. She squinted as she saw the tall graceful figure sprint towards her. Heather's heart skipped a beat at first when she didn't see Naya near the dumpster, but under the soft glow of the street light the keen eyed dancer spotted the outline of a slouched figure on the curb. Heather's step was light but filled with importance as she made her way over to her friend, her muscles aching in worry. _Please don't be angry, please don't be angry… _She prayed as she jogged the remainder of the way over.

"Nay…" Heather breathed out, slightly winded. Her heart was beating wilder as she stood behind her friend who looked up at her from her sitting position.

"Did you get lost or somethin'?" Heather asked hesitantly.

"Well, if you're asking figuratively…" Naya responded half-heartedly, the last of her words getting lost in a large gust of wind. Both of them shuddered from the sudden burst of coldness.

"Come on, Nay. Let's go back inside, it's freezing…" Heather rubbed her palms over her bare arms, wishing she had been smart enough to at least grab a coat… She felt like she was wearing nothing.

"Yeah… can I just have a couple more minutes?" Naya answered over her shoulder. Heather frowned. She knew if she left this alone for any longer Naya would isolate herself permanently. She wanted to fix this, she had to. So she went back to what she knew best.

Heather sat herself down gingerly next to her friend, shuffling as close as she possibly could so their body heat radiated off each other. She slipped her right arm through Naya's left and clasped her hand. The blonde was shocked to find that the smaller girl felt like an ice cube at the touch. Heather made it her goal to melt her. She cuddled close into her side, burying her nose into her shoulder. Heather couldn't help, but notice Naya instantly recoil. The brunette contemplated on shrugging the blonde off, but she couldn't help but be thankful when the sensation in her fingers returned. She inevitably gave in and relaxed into Heather as she appreciated the new found source of warmth. It mystified Naya how Heather was a walking personal heater. She instantly felt ten times warmer, half from Heather's natural body heat and half from the fact that the girl was again in such a close proximity. The thin layer of Heather's tank top was doing a poor job in covering anything as Naya could distinctly see hardened nipples poke through the material. She simply gulped as the familiar lump returned to her throat.

"Can we please talk about this?" Heather begged into Naya's shoulder, the words humming at her skin.

Naya was looking at the pavement beneath her feet. She sighed. She wanted answers too and it was no use to avoid the situation or Heather. Both were determined to eat her mind away.

"O-Oka-y-y…" she agreed, a chattering mess.

"God, you're freezing… Are you sure you don't wanna go back inside?" Heather asked, as she rubbed at Naya's thigh with her free hand.

Naya shook her head no, "It was too stuffy in there…"

Heather looked down, guilt building in her chest.

"I'm sorry… that was probably my fault… I didn't… I didn't mean to freak you out back there," Heather spoke in a whisper in Naya's ear. The brunette shivered again, but this time it wasn't from the cold. "My brain was just not thinking clearly and I—"

"It's whatever, Heather..." Naya spat out. Heather was taken aback by Naya's sharp tongue. She didn't want to hear Heather say it was all a mistake and that it should have never happened. Naya just wanted to live in her own world a little longer where Heather wanted to kiss her all the time.

"Stop doing that. Can you let me finish?" Heather bickered back as she lifted her head and locked her eyes with the Latina.

"I get what you're trying to say, Hemo…"

"No you don't," she said firmly. "Stop deciding how I'm supposed to feel Naya because you have no idea."

"Actually I do," Naya said turning so she was facing the perplexed blonde. "You're confused. I get it. Believe me I've been through it a million times now and I understand the feeling of regret." Naya remembered back to "Lea's" words as she closed her eyes and told Heather, "You weren't in a strong place, and I happened to be there when you needed someone you could trust… someone you could lean on. And I, unfortunately, was stupid and took advantage of that."

"Friends don't do that. I feel horrible for letting it go that far. So just… just do me the favor and don't say it," Naya finished, letting go a wary sigh. There was nothing but silence and the low moaning of the wind. Naya basked in it, understanding that the unresponsive reaction from Heather made what she said true.

"You're wrong, Naya. It wasn't like that…" Heather contradicted. Naya looked up to her, not being able to hide away that side of her that still had hope. They found themselves in the very position they were in only moments before, except in a much colder setting. That addition just made them cuddle all the more closer. Heather's face was mere inches from Naya's, their eyes swimming in each other's.

"If it wasn't a mistake, then what was it Heather?" Naya squeaked.

"Listen… I may not know much," Heather started, "I may not know what's happening to me, or why my brain is making me feel like I'm a contestant on Jeopardy. Not to mention I am having the worst time trying to figure you out right now… You are making it impossible for me to understand how you're feeling. I wish you would just let me in," she said sadly.

Then with a little more confidence she said, "I don't have many answers, but I do know one thing, Naya."

Heather's blue eyes danced like fire flies under the darkness of the street. Her piercing gaze was purely honest as it shot through Naya's heart.

"I _wanted_ to kiss you."

The words had rumbled lowly from Heather's throat and she couldn't help but let a little satisfied smile slip onto her lips as she said it. It felt comfortable and cozy saying such things to Naya.

Heather watched Naya's reaction intently. Half of her was nervous that the smaller girl would wrestle from her grasp and sprint to her car and drive away into the night. The other half of her was quite certain that Naya would reciprocate her feelings and she would _finally_ be able to satisfy her need to kiss her… The girl was precariously holding her heart in her hands. She had all the power to make or break her. Heather was anything but sure as to what she was doing. She was purely acting on instinct and on how she's been feeling for the past week or so now. It was something that she felt was always buried deep inside her gut, but she chose to ignore it. In her head it always sounded like a stupid idea. But whenever she was around Naya she felt so… complete. Her mind hadn't sorted out all the details yet as she was focused on 'now', her full attention was drawn to the woman sitting comfortably in her arms. As she thought on how to describe Naya, she found that it was impossible because there were no words to do her justice.

_This can't really be happening_… It was as if the universe had turned upside down and now Naya was the one dealing the cards. Having control, but still having doubt at the same time was puzzling the Latina to no end. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel or react to all of this. In all her years of loving and trying to forget loving Heather, she had not prepared herself for the day that the blonde could possibly return her feelings.

"Heather?" Naya muttered quietly, "This doesn't make any sense…"

It wasn't exactly what Heather was hoping to hear, so she tried her best to work with it.

"I-I know… But I just… I wanted to kiss you. I still want to kiss you…" Heather stuttered as she licked her lips and stared at Naya's.

The Latina was stunned as her brain lacked words for a response. Heather's words hit her like a warm ray of light that made her whole body feel tingly, bubbly. _Take that Lea, _Naya thought as an unconscious smile spread to her lips. Heather took this as a good sign as uncertainty vanished and her beaming smile returned back in full fervor.

"I… I don't know what to say…" Naya said, completely bewildered.

"Then don't say anything…" Heather whispered huskily her grin growing as she cupped Naya's cheek and leaned towards her.

Naya's tanned cheeks inevitably blushed from Heather's boldness. The way the blonde took command was something Naya was too afraid to ever do, so she was thankful to say the least that she made the first move. Slow and careful, and mostly trying not to disappoint, Heather pressed their foreheads together with their noses caressing as they did earlier. Naya's eyes instinctively fluttered closed as she fell into Heather's touch. Heather paused again, but this time it wasn't from fright or hesitation. Being so close to her friend, she took a quick mental photo of Naya's features. Her soft and plump, baby-like cheeks, her button nose, the laugh-lines at the corners of her eyes that were always hidden behind makeup, the way her glasses framed her closed eyelids… there was so much for her to take in. All the little details made Heather's smile twitch higher in admiration. She always thought Naya was pretty, but she wasn't just pretty… she was _beautiful. _She focused back on Naya's slightly parted moistened lips, small breaths of air hitting her own.

Heather's heart hammered against her chest and she felt like she was seven again walking with a Mickey Mouse balloon tied to her wrist. She could feel her ears tingle and redden with heat even in the brisk cold of the night. Heather would laugh if someone had suggested that sitting on the side of a cold, dark street would be a romantic place to have a first kiss, but she couldn't have thought of any other place at the moment that would set the mood better. It suited them and the atmosphere couldn't have felt more perfect. The neighborhood was still and calm, with only the faint glow of the street lamp illuminating their figures and the refreshing scent of approaching fall filling their nostrils. It was as if the world had stopped and everything was unearthly quiet. Rather beautifully quiet as it seemed that the wind had died down specifically for this tender moment.

It was all unabashedly romantic and really quite cliché, but none of it mattered to either of the two women as they were too focused on each other to notice. Heather finally closed the centimeter gap between their awaiting mouths. Light, but able to feel every bit of softness from the cushion of Naya's lips, Heather couldn't hold back the soft moan in the back of her throat. Their lips melded together perfectly, as Heather paid extra attention to the suppleness of Naya's bottom lip. It was a gentle kiss, nothing aggressive or rushed as both of them choose to savor the moment. Heather smiled against her friend's lips, as she thought how incredibly easy and wonderful it felt kissing her. Wanting more, Heather took Naya's waist and tried to pull her in as close as possible, deepening the kiss.

She felt like she was on fire. Naya couldn't comprehend all the sensations at once, leaving her wishing that they could stay like this forever. She wanted to smile, she wanted to dance around, she wanted to cry, but mostly she just wanted more of Heather's lips and she wanted them everywhere. Heather kissed like how she danced. Languid, sensual, smooth, and effortless… Every gliding movement would end with the same finesse as one of Heather's pirouettes. Soft and heavenly delicious… Heather tasted amazing. As she kissed Heather's smiling lips, she reasoned that this was probably how it felt kissing sunshine. Heather definitely had it wrong earlier… Nate _had _to be the bad kisser.

Not really wanting to, Heather reluctantly broke the kiss in need for air. Their faces still remained inches apart as Heather brought Naya forward again to lean her forehead against hers. Both of their eyes were closed and they stayed silent, simply sharing the moment of warm breath mixing together in soft pants. Somehow, Heather had managed to pull Naya's legs over her lap when she tried to bring her closer. Heather softly squeezed her thigh as she opened her eyes resting her gaze on chocolate brown ones. She smiled sweetly.

"So…" Naya spoke breathlessly, a crazy smile on her lips. It was one of the most genuine smiles she's had in a long time and it felt good to share it with Heather.

"Wow…" Heather chuckled lightly, making Naya giggle as well.

"Heather, I've needed to tell you something since… since forever," Naya managed out between her nerves and shortage of breath.

Heather nodded encouragingly, eyes lighting up and smile beaming. Naya steadied her breath as she stared into those warm, comforting blue eyes. Those eyes that made her heart melt every time. She thought she knew the feeling of happiness, but she had never truly experienced its full euphoric power until now. Naya Rivera was _the_ happiest and luckiest person in the world at that very moment. She couldn't believe she was going to do this. _It's now or never, _Naya thought as confidence she thought she could never have swelled in her entire being.

"Heather, I lo—"

Moments like these always seemed too perfect. Being able to kiss Heather and tell her she loved her was too much to ask for in one night. So Naya shouldn't have been surprised when Nate's car rolled up the driveway, bright lights hitting the two girls blindingly. But she was surprised. She was being pulled aggressively out of the 'Happiest Place On Earth' and back into the hell of reality. Naya felt like she was being caught by the police in the act of some drug trade, Heather's lips stronger than any narcotic or hallucinogen that ever existed. Nate's presence made Naya wary as she remembered who she was and how close she was to Heather. Heather… who had a boyfriend and who couldn't go around kissing her best friend. She reluctantly swung her legs off of a distracted Heather who was confused and pissed at Nate being back so early. Naya scooted away from the blonde who noticed the lack of warmth in her arms.

She tried to seek out Naya's eyes, but she wouldn't look at her. She stared at the pavement, her hands clutching the curb. Heather reached down to cover her hand over Naya's and as she did so she could see a pained expression crumple her beautiful features. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit down at her quivering lip as she shook her head no to Heather. _This is so wrong. It shouldn't be like this, _Naya kept repeating in her head.

"Naya, please look at me…" Heather whispered desperately as she heard Nate step out of his car and close the door. Footsteps were heard soon after as her boyfriend approached them. Naya swallowed and finally looked back up to Heather.

"What does this mean?" she asked in a hushed and saddened tone. "What the hell does all of this mean?"

Heather wanted to give Naya an answer, but she didn't have one. When she didn't reply, she could see Naya break before her, disappointment written on her face. Like she said before, she didn't know what was happening to her. Did this mean she was gay? Or bi? All these labels were freaking her out as she was beginning to delve into a situation she was preached to never consider. All she knew is that she cared about Naya and that kissing her was the most amazing thing in the world.

"Hey, ladies… Why in God's name are you sitting out here on a night like this?" Nate asked as he stood behind the two girls who were still staring at each other intently. When neither of them responded to his question, he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Um… am I interrupting something here?"

"Yeah, sorta…" Heather spoke back, her eyes never leaving Naya's.

Naya had to break the eye contact as she looked up to Nate and gave her best fake smile yet, "But it's okay. Moment is gone anyways…"

_It literally was…_

"Are you sure? Cause whatever you guys were discussing is way more important than me… really," Nate said, still hoping that Naya was working her ways to sort out Heather.

"Yup, we're all done," Naya said simply, slipping her hand from under Heather's and standing up. Heather slowly followed suit.

She turned to Nate and asked quite pointedly, "Why are you home so early? You said you were going to stay over at your cousin's place?"

"Well, yes dear I missed you too," Nate chuckled jokingly, but stopped as he saw he was getting no such reaction from his humor. "Uh… Don't be mad, but I lost everything. I was getting dealt the worse hands babe I swear. I was just in no mood to stay the night there, sorry…"

_Be a good girlfriend… you owe him that much._

Heather sighed and feigned a smile, "It's not a big deal…"

Nate released a smile of relief as he walked over and engulfed his girlfriend in a big bear hug. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Heather's. Naya had to look away, instantly jealous that Nate was able to kiss Heather whenever he wished. When they parted, Heather had to hold back a frown. Nothing. No thrilling rides, no Mickey Mouse ears, no magical fireworks, no desire to come back for more. She felt horrible. She looked over Nate's shoulder at Naya who was kicking at a pebble on the ground.

Nate turned around to acknowledge Naya as he exclaimed, "Don't I just have the best girlfriend in the world?"

Heather felt a pang of guilt tinge in her heart, and she saw that Naya had noticed her face falling as well. Naya looked at the perfect couple. She couldn't ruin this. She would not be the cause to the end of such a wonderfully easy relationship. If she were, Heather had to make her choice logically. Nate could give Heather everything she's dreamt of. Simplicity, happiness, kids… love. What did Naya have to offer?

"You certainly do," Naya confirmed, as Heather looked to her sadly. Nate gave a quick peck to her temple.

"I think we should head back inside. You being out here in your pjs will do nothing, but give you a horrible cold," Nate said as he led Heather back to the house, Naya in toe. "Don't worry. I'll keep out of your little sleepover. On the drive back I already came to the conclusion that I'd be sleeping on the couch so it's all good…"

As they stepped back inside the entryway, Naya spotted her keys on the side table and realization hit her. She made a quick move to grab them which did not go unnoticed by Heather. The blonde looked at her, panicked.

"You know, I actually think you two deserve a night to yourselves," Naya suggested, catching the couples attention. Heather glared at her and shook her head frantically 'no'. _What the hell is she thinking?_ Heather thought. Naya just ignored her pleading look as she continued.

"It's been a long day. You guys should just take a moment and spend of the rest of the evening together. I'll just get out of your hair while you situate things…" Naya said, directing her words towards Heather who simply stared back at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"You sure? I really don't mind—" Nate started.

"Yah, it's totally fine. I'll just see Heather tomorrow. Besides, we have plenty of time to talk," Naya said slipping on her shoes and inching towards the door.

_But I want to talk now_, Heather thought as she followed close behind Naya. The brunette reopened the door and made her way out.

"I'll see you two later. Night guys," she said quietly as she walked out to her car.

"Night!" Naya heard Nate call, but she didn't care as she was already at her car door, fumbling with the keys to unlock it. She hastily got in and placed the key in the ignition, but before she could start the engine there was a knocking at her window. Naya jumped in her seat as she turned to a fuming Heather. She nervously rolled down the window. Once it was completely lowered, Heather leaned in dangerously.

"Stop running away from me," she said heatedly.

"I'm not running away from you," Naya choked and cowered slightly, obviously intimidated. It always felt odd when Heather was angry.

"Oh really? What the hell does this look like to you then?"

"Heather… please…" Naya whimpered desperately. Heather couldn't help, but soften her cold demeanor slightly. "I… I promise I'm not running anymore. Just everything that happened… I… I don't get it… Heather, you're making me run in circles and I want to know why the hell you're doing this."

"I told you I don't know—"

"See? That's the thing… I need to know, because… because I've been waiting for answers, Heather," Naya murmured sadly.

"Naya, please… tell me what's going on? You _need _to fill me in," Heather pleaded as her clutched on to the side of her car desperately.

"I feel like you need to think this through. Both of us do. We don't know what we're doing."

"I don't want to lose you because of this," Heather told her worriedly.

"You're not. I'm not going anywhere. We have all the time in the world to figure this out, Heather. It's going to be okay… but first you need to be with Nate."

"How is that going to solve anything?"

"You need to know where your feelings stand with him first. People don't start second guessing solid relationships that have lasted years for just one kiss… It doesn't work like that. You can't rush things like this… Besides, how do you know it actually meant anything? You could wake up tomorrow morning and forget everything that you're feeling right now. Then you'll be left asking yourself why we let it go so far…" Naya explained.

"Naya, stop…"

"No, for the first time I'm actually right," she spoke knowingly as she started her car. When she did Dashboard Confessionals blared from her sound system from earlier and she reached down to adjust the volume, cheeks flushing slightly from embarrassment. It had been a really long drive…

"Just think… okay? Then we'll talk."

Heather sighed as she gave in, "You promise you'll wait?"

Naya looked into Heather's eyes. Those eyes that were pleading, wishing Naya would just stay. How she wanted her to stay, so she could talk this over with her and so she could kiss her again… She hated all this chasing and uncertainty. It was driving her crazy, but all she could do was look to this girl and hope that she would be able to keep her afloat as she dove into uncharted waters.

"N-Naya?" Heather choked out nervously in fear when her friend didn't answer immediately.

"I'll do my best…" Naya replied.

She wasn't able to muster up the strength to tell Heather what she truly wished to say. Naya promised with her eyes, the words having the ability to shine through the night sky.

_I'll wait forever for you Heather._


	12. Chapter 12

For this chapter, I kinda wanted to ease myself back into writing with a little fluffy combo here… I hope you enjoy it. But next chapter be prepared! I refer to an important interview in this one, hopefully you guys all recognize it! It's one of the oldies ;)

They're rather adorable… Enjoy!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
><span>Chapter 12<span>

Lips… That's all Heather had really been thinking about recently. 'Thinking about' was understatement. The correct phrase would be 'obsessing over'. But it wasn't all lips. It was just one set of lips in particular that kept her mesmerized for hours upon hours. A pair of lips that belonged to her best friend…

_Naya spoke with a smile in her voice and Heather automatically found herself trying to memorize the glossy surface of those pouty lips. She was pretty convinced by now that she must have developed some sort of fatal illness or disorder from those lips; they were slowly going to kill her… They made her head spin and her temperature climb to abnormal heights. She knew it was all due to that first taste and now all she wanted to do was hop on the next train to the Magic Kingdom… _

_ "We just wanna do what Sue says…" Naya chided jokingly to the interviewer, effectively puffing out her lips and shooting a heart-melting glance at Heather. The light-headed blonde could only shrug awkwardly in agreement, rather lost for words. This was one of those moments where Heather was sure Naya was making her lips absolutely irresistible just to see how long it would take for the blonde to cave and suck on that heavenly set of flesh. _What a fucking tease…

_ "Yeah! And if Sue says take that cute one out on a date, you'll do it?" the polite brunette interviewer asked the two. Heather thought the tall lady was wearing too much clumpy mascara… it was rather distracting. _

_ Heather looked to her left and spotted Cory who was also in the middle of an interview. She was quickly drawn back when she heard Naya's delicious voice answer, "Who wouldn't want to take him out on a date? Can you blame us?" _

_ Heather couldn't take her eyes off of Naya as the Latina giggled lovingly at her and she couldn't help but mumble, "Adorable…"_

_ She was thankful her comment got washed away in Naya's cute mock of innocence, "Is that really trouble making?" _

_ Naya glanced back to her friend and her smile instantly grew wider as their eyes met. They shared a knowing look and Naya laughed her genuine laughter… it made Heather's heart flutter and she couldn't help but laugh along with her. Naya's laugh was contagious as it always made Heather's own voice box sing with giggles; their laughter harmonized together in a lovely symphony of gleefulness. It was a chain reaction; a rather horrible one while in the middle of shooting a serious scene…_

_ "And what about you two? You two are a little close on the show…" the interviewer hinted at the two girls, a mischievous glint in those mascara glooping eyes._

_ Heather's face dropped ever so slightly as she felt her cover was being blown, but she tried not to falter. She plastered her smile back on her face and looked back at Naya whose eyes were beaming at the subject. It nerved Heather how her friend was so comfortable with all of this… she wished she could convey the same composure._

_ "Yeah… as we hear…" Heather replied back and captured Naya's gaze. The smaller brunette discretely wiggled her eyebrows up and down at her, forcing Heather to purse her lips in effort to suppress her laughter. Naya was also having trouble with containing her uncontrollable smiles and giggles as she tried to mirror Heather's expression by pursing her own lips. But Heather noted that the Latina's lips were just too naturally supple to contain in a thin line like that… It just reminded Heather of how kissable they were._

_ "Yah! I mean, do you guys make out a little bit?"_

_ Heather's expression dropped altogether as all the humor and color drained from her face. She leaned in closer to make sure she heard correctly, because the slightest reference of the phrase 'making out with Naya' was having an immediate overdrive effect on her brain. She gulped silently at her tightening throat and blinked her widening eyes. Heather was definitely speechless… It was probably better that way because if she could manage to say anything, she knew it would be something completely inappropriate… _

Naya… kissing… Naya… lips… kissing… Naya and kissing her lips… _Heather was playing around with the words in her head when the interviewer restated the question again._

_ "You guys say you make out a little bit?"_

Breathe Heather… you're not breathing!

"_Do you wanna see something cool happen?"_

_Heather managed to make a swift eyeballing glance towards Naya who was completely poised and collected as she simply smiled nonchalantly toward the question… like she was asked this every fucking day. In the corner of her eye Heather could see Naya's tongue swipe out and lick her bottom lip ever so slowly… Heather was pretty sure she just died a little inside._

"_Or do you like the uncertainty about it right now?" the interviewer finished._

_Heather instantly snapped her head back to Naya, eyes wide and pleading. She hoped her friend would have the right words to say because Heather sure as hell didn't. She was thankful when Naya opened her mouth to speak. _

"_I kinda like the uncertainty and I think the fans do too. It keeps them guessing. And like I said before, whatever the writer's wanna do with us I think is awesome," Naya said, choosing her words ever so carefully and Heather admired the way she did so. Heather simply nodded in agreement as it was the only functional thing she could do at the moment. She was still stuck on those lips… _

"_All I know is that I love being in scenes with this one… and…" Naya continued to say through little chuckles of laughter. She turned back to Heather and looked at her as if she were the only other person in the world. She squeezed at Heather's elbow comfortingly. Heather couldn't help herself as she savored the brief warm touch of Naya's nimble fingers. _

_Then the unthinkable happened… She wasn't quite sure if it was due to the situation as a whole or if it was Naya's simple gesture that sent Heather tumbling over the edge; all she knew is that she found herself stuck in a puddle of mud. _

_Her words started toppling from her lips as she tried and failed miserably to finish Naya's sentence, "And I wouldn't mind making out with Naya… It's… well, it's nothing we haven't done before…"_

_When the words left her lips everything became deathly quiet, leaving her ears ringing. It was as if the words echoed throughout the entire room and every person in the vicinity with a proper set of working ears heard what she said. She couldn't believe what was happening as her face turned a ripe strawberry red. Panic was filling her chest and waves of anxiety were coursing through her veins. Her hand frantically sought out Naya's who grasped back immediately and gave a reassuring squeeze._

_She tried to cover her slip-up, which only made things worse…_

"_I meant… What I meant to say was…" Heather stuttered miserably as she stared at her feet. "We're like super comfortable with each other. And making out would be like Disneyland—I mean easy… because… because…"_

"_You mean you've kissed Naya before and you want to do it again?" the interviewer's voice sounded oddly familiar and had strangely gone five octaves deeper…_

_Heather lifted her head and her eyes widened, completely mortified._

"_Well?" Nate growled, shoving the microphone under Heather's nose and against her lips. His eyes glared at her with a mixture of sadness and danger. It was a combination Heather had never before seen in those normally loving ocean blue orbs. _

"_I… I…" _

_There had only been a few moments in Heather's life where she had felt completely and utterly terrified… this was one of those moments._

"_Nate… I… We kissed… but only once, I swear. I-I don't even know what it means," when Heather tried to explain to her boyfriend she felt the warmth from her hand slowly slip away. _

_Heather's eyes instantly searched back over to Naya who had wrapped her arms around herself and pierced her best Santana eyes yet at her. Heather looked to her friend, trying to speak to her with her eyes. All she got back was Naya's broken and hurt mocha orbs, looking to her in disbelief. After two minutes of combating glances, Naya shook her head and looked down to her feet. Heather could see crystal gemmed tears form in the corners of her eyes. Naya turned around and started to walk away. Immediately Heather reached out and stopped her. _

_Words finally coming back to her she choked out, "Wait, Naya please… Remember what I told you that night? I meant what I said… I wanted to kiss you. I—" _

"_What? I cannot believe you, Heather… How could you?" Nate spat, completely betrayed._

_Heather turned back to face Nate, "No, no! It wasn't like that!"_

"_Then what was it, Heather?" Naya whispered weakly._

"_I…" Heather gazed into Naya's pleading eyes and then turned back to Nate who stood dejectedly. She was torn. She loved them both with all of her heart and she hated seeing them both broken. Most of all she hated that she was the cause of it. Heather didn't know what to do. _

_Feeling the need to explain to Naya, she chose to come back to her first. Looking apologetically to her best friend and clasping her hands desperately she whispered, "I still don't know…"_

_The two looked to each other in silence, neither one of them daring to break the eerie stillness of the room. Heather wanted nothing more than to tell Naya everything… to give her everything. She wanted to, but then the other half of her spoke out and reminded her of her duty as a girlfriend. _

"_You need to make a choice, Heather," Nate spoke, voice unwavering._

_Eyes still set on Naya, she watched her lips as she told her:_

"_We can't wait forever…" _

Heather's eyes flew open. Firefly like patterns whirred in front of her eyes in the darkness of her bedroom as her vision adjusted from her sleep. Her head was spinning uncontrollably. She swung her legs over the side of the bed quietly as not to disturb her snoring boyfriend who was still slumbering away peacefully. She squeezed her eyes shut from the sudden head rush when she got up and clutched her chest as her heart was still pounding angrily against her ribcage.

It all felt so real… Every emotion, every touch, and every word still reverberated in Heather's mind. The image of Naya crumpled and heartbroken was still imprinted behind her eyelids. The thought made her heart clench nervously. She was relieved that it was just a nightmare… however simply waking up didn't make the problem go away. The reality of the dilemma made her feel like she was still in one of her dreams. She was lost and confused with everything that was happening to her. She had no one to turn to the past few days… Ashley was busy with work again, she couldn't tell her mom about this, Nate was out of the question, and Naya… She wanted to tell Naya so badly, but every time she got the girl alone she couldn't find the words to express how she felt. Because she still didn't know how she felt… It was all fucking confusing…

Heather wasn't quite sure why she had dreamt of that interview in particular. It felt like ages ago, but she could remember it as if it happened yesterday. Maybe it was because it was at that moment when the idea of kissing Naya had first invaded her mind. The thought had lingered in the back of her head ever since. The worst part was that interview happened back while promoting first season… thus the idea that had been planted in her mind had now grown into a full blown oak tree over the passing months.

These dreams had been happening quite frequently lately… They started out mildly and Heather would never admit it to anyone else, but she enjoyed envisioning Naya's lips all over her body whenever she closed her eyes. She would wake up needing a really cold shower… What used to be wonderful fantasies of making out with Naya had now turned into mind torturing, head splitting scenarios. In the end of every dream, Naya would always walk away…

Heather rubbed her eyes aggressively in frustration. She had this constant fear building in her chest of Naya, not Nate, leaving her shattered and rejected. _Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't I be chasing after Nate? _Heather would always ask herself miserably. Her subconscious was sending her in circles. It was contradicting everything she _should _do…

_Well… maybe these dreams are telling you what you _want…

Heather let go of a heavy sigh. She glanced at her clock which read 3:48 AM… the last thing she wanted to do was go back to sleep knowing it could lead to another nightmare. She got up quietly, deciding a long morning run would maybe help calm her mind down. She needed to be calm because today was a big day… Today she was finally allowed to kiss Naya again. True, it was kinda horrible that she saw today's scene in Brittany's room as an opportunity to take another bite of that taunting set of forbidden fruit, but she couldn't help herself… Like she said before, she was obsessed.

She was excited, yet terrified at the same time. She feared that today would simply solidify her unidentifiable feelings for Naya… What she wanted was going to be the death of her.

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

"It's only been two days since it happened… I don't think either of you are ready."

"Lea, the scene is scheduled for four o'clock today… It's going to happen whether I'm ready for it or not. There's not much I can do…" Naya explained what seemed like the millionth time.

Telling Lea that Heather had kissed her had been one of the biggest mistakes Naya's life… She mentally noted to _never_ tell something like this to Lea Michele ever again. Although she loved the girl, she truly could be a diva at times. She guessed she shouldn't have been too surprised that Lea's response would be less than enthusiastic; you couldn't help her for hoping for the contrary. The tiny brunette had sat Naya down for about an hour and a half after she had confessed all the details to her last night. They went through about two bottles of wine as Lea gave her speech about the consequences of sexual impulses and the heartbreak that always resulted after them… Naya had rolled her eyes during every minute of it. She felt like she was getting "the sex talk" from her mom again all those years back. You could see from the tiredness under her eyes that the extensive detail Lea went into kept the girls up till the early hours of the morning.

No matter what Lea told her or how much she tried to convince her that she was going to get hurt, Naya didn't care. She knew it wasn't good for her, hell it was probably the worst possible thing for her at the moment… but she really didn't care. The only thing she cared about was Heather. Heather was worth all the heartbreak and the pain… she had gone through it for two years now. She would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't even try when there was the faintest sign that Heather could possibly have the same feelings for her. You could call her a homewrecker, a bad friend, a lovesick fool…

She didn't care.

"You're just using this as an excuse to kiss Heather again…" Lea accused folding her arms across her chest.

"Okay now, I'm not that desperate…" Naya sneered, although Lea did make a very valid point. "And you're just jealous because you wish you had a scene like this with Dianna."

Lea pointed her finger at her dangerously, "Don't you go there…"

Naya put up her hands in defense, "Hey, you were the one to take it to that level. I'm just stating a fact."

"Hmph," Lea sulked as she firmly folded her arms back over her chest.

"Mhm… that's what I thought," Naya chuckled taking a sip of her coffee. They were taking their small morning break in between makeup and costume fittings in Naya's trailer. Lea had mainly come in to check on Naya before her big scene with Heather later that day. The small soprano may have been a little jealous internally that Naya got to kiss the girl she was in love with on and off screen, but she would never admit it to her friend. She cared about Naya and wanted the best for her. She was there for support, well her version of support.

"I hate seeing you so happy… It's so depressing…"

Naya laughed louder and smiled brighter than she should have at Lea's words. She couldn't really help herself. She _was_ happy. Well, happier than normal. She knew nothing was really set in stone with her and Heather, but she felt like they had made some sort of revelation that wonderfully cold night. It was progress and Naya was grateful of it. Hopeful was a better word. Naya would take that any day over what she had been going through the past month.

"Well, I'm sorry. Would you like me to go curl up in a corner and be a Debbie Downer again?" Naya said with a smile.

"Oh, yes please!" Lea exclaimed overdramatically. "Because I _so_ miss hopelessly, depressed Naya… I'm pretty sure you could have created your very own 'I'm in love with Heather, but can't be with her' ocean with all those tears and swim in it…"

Naya furrowed her eyebrows at her friend, "Wow, insensitive much?"

"It's called sarcasm, Naya. I thought you were the queen sardonicism."

"Ouch. Sorry that I have feelings," Naya shot back with a grin.

"Yes, I think too much so. I think you just have too much estrogen, missy."

The two burst into a fit of giggles over Lea's comment. Lea placed a palm unknowingly on Naya's thigh to brace herself on her chair as her body shook from her unladylike snorts. Over the ruckus of their laughter, Naya didn't hear the soft knock at her trailer door as it slowly creaked open.

Heather wanted to talk to Naya… she's wanted to ever since they kissed. She wanted to settle things long before they had to film their scene together for the Duets episode, but she was scared. She was still terrified that Naya was somehow going to break her heart. Now that time was dwindling down till they had to shoot the "the scene", Heather was getting desperate for words and for time. The anticipation was killing her. She needed to hear from Naya's own lips that things were going to be okay. Only her voice could validate it and calm Heather's nerves.

When Heather stood outside Naya's trailer and raised her knuckles to rap on the door, she could hear the Latina's distinct heartwarming laughter echo from inside. It made Heather frown a little wondering who it was that caused the heavenly noise from her best friend. As she tried the handle, she unsurprisingly found it unlocked… she kinda drew up this bizarre idea in her head that Naya's trailer liked to unlock itself just for her. When she let herself in, her eyes settled on Lea leaning in close to Naya's body as their laughter sung together in loud cackles. Heather's eyes instantly landed on Lea's palm as it was placed firmly just above Naya's knee. The bright fire in Heather's blue eyes automatically blew out with a cold wind of sadness.

An odd, churning settled in the pit of her stomach, making the blonde feel all queasy and uncomfortable inside. She couldn't help but let her lips purse a little in disappointment. She shouldn't feel this way when she saw her friend so happy with someone else… She tried to mentally swat away the monstrous jealousy clawing at her heart. She shook her head a little to snap out of it and cleared her throat lightly to make her presence known.

The quiet noise seemed to work as the clamoring laughter instantly silenced and both of the girls' heads snapped over in Heather's direction. Heather stood there feeling rather small as she fiddled nervously with her fingers and stared at her shoes. Naya's eyes immediately lit up when her gaze fell upon Heather, a small smile gracing her lips. She suddenly realized the weight of Lea's hand and quickly swatted it off her thigh. Naya glared at Lea who simply glared back and rolled her eyes.

"Hey," Naya said love clearly laced her husky voice. Lea gave a small snort, which caused her to receive a kick in the shin from Naya. Lea scowled at her, but didn't utter a noise after.

"Hi," Heather replied back softly. The two simply looked to the other quietly for a few moments before Heather finally spoke up and said, "Sorry… was I… interrupting something?"

"No!" the two girls said in unison.

"I was just—" Lea started.

"She was just leaving," Naya finished. Lea looked to her getting the hint as she hopped out of her chair.

"Right…" she murmured. "I'll leave you two alone."

Heather gave a polite smile to the short brunette as she passed by to the exit. When Lea reached the door, she turned back around to Naya. She gave her two thumbs up and a way too over-exaggerated wink. Naya squinted her eyes at her dangerously and shoed her away with her hand. The gesture made Heather turn around curiously to look back at Lea who immediately lowered her hands. She gave a curt wave and made her exit.

When Heather turned back around eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Naya just looked back up at her innocently letting go of a weary laugh. All of it just made Heather feel uneasy as she cautiously took Lea's empty chair. Once she settled herself, she looked back up at Naya and was caught yet again by those lips… Just like that, all words vanished from her vocabulary.

"Hi…" was all she could muster. Naya gave a low chuckle, making Heather swoon a little.

"You already said that, Hemo."

"Yeah… right… sorry. I just got a little… distracted," Heather said honestly as her cheeks blushed. Naya's grin grew wider.

"I'm happy to see you…" Naya couldn't help herself. Heather would always have this effect on her, kiss or no kiss…

Heather finally let her lips curve into a genuine smile.

"Yeah?" Heather squeaked bashfully, as she fiddled with the hem of her Cheerios skirt.

"Mhm…" Naya confirmed sweetly, taking another sip of her coffee.

"You should take it easy on the coffee today," Heather joked, trying to relieve some tension in her racing brain. Naya raised a questioning eyebrow. "Coffee breath is never pleasant while making out, Nay. You should know that."

Naya rolled her eyes at her, but smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're taking the scene today lightly."

"Why? Should I take it seriously?" Heather asked lowly.

"Only if you want to…" Naya said looking deeply in Heather's eyes. Heather knew what Naya was really trying to ask, but she still wasn't ready to be serious yet. She still didn't have an answer, even though she desperately wished she did.

"I still don't know…" Heather whispered, repeating the same words she did in her dream. She prayed that the events in her nightmare wouldn't play out in her reality… She couldn't break eye contact with Naya.

What happened next was the last thing Heather expected.

Naya leaned in, placing her lovely warm palm on Heather's bare thigh. The blonde's heart began racing again, all thought and morals draining from her now nonfunctional brain. Heather's eyes instinctively fluttered closed as Naya came closer to her lips. Leaning forward slightly in anticipation for their lips to meet, Heather was sorely disappointed when Naya diverted her path to leave a simple, but loving kiss on her flushing cheek. Even though it was the slightest most innocent touch, Heather leaned in to Naya's kiss, savoring the feel of those amazingly soft lips. She couldn't help herself as her parted lips let go of a rather embarrassing low moan.

It was over as soon as it happened, leaving Heather breathless and dizzy. She swore she felt Naya smirk against her cheek just before her lips left. Heather was quite confident there was a burning imprint left there. She never knew something like a peck on the cheek could leave the dancer feeling ridiculously hot and bothered. _She is a fucking tease…_ Heather knew Naya meant for the kiss to be a friendly gesture of encouragement, but it just left her further confused.

When Heather opened her eyes, she met Naya's mocha brown ones.

Her friend smiled sweetly to her and gave her thigh a gentle squeeze as she whispered, "It's okay… It takes time to figure these things out. Believe me I know…"

Heather smiled at her gratefully and she let go of a shaky breath.

"As long as you think you'll have an answer eventually I'm willing to wait," she told her truthfully.

Heather nodded and took a deep breath before she spoke, "I've actually been doing a lot of thinking…"

"Yeah?" Naya choked. It was her turn to be nervous as she anxiously waited for what Heather had to say.

"Maybe too much thinking… I don't know. It's all driving me insane to the point where I can't think straight. I know that there's… something… something between us that I've never really noticed before. But I don't know what it is yet… and that's the thing that scares me, Nay," Heather began frantically.

"I'm terrified that whatever this is will ruin us and I don't want that to happen. Everything in my head is pushing me in all sorts of directions… there's Mom, and Nate, and Ashley, and fucking crazy mascara lady!" Heather was starting to shout as she pressed her fingers into her temples.

"Mascara lady?" Naya whispered under her breath in confusion as she took Heather's hands down into her own and rubbed soothing circled into them.

"Hey… look at me…" Naya spoke gently. Heather rested her eyes on Naya's beautiful face as she spoke to her.

"It's fucking shit… I know. I mean, I'm still just as unsure as you are sometimes. But when you're thinking these things through, Heather, you have to remember one thing," Naya looked deeply into Heather's never-ending blue eyes. "You have to learn to ignore all those other voices. Whatever your Mom and Ashley says, or Nate says, or whatever these weird ladies are telling you… hell, even me Hemo… Don't listen. Don't listen to any of the bullshit we throw at you to try to sway you in one direction or another. We're insignificant in this situation. As cheesy and overused as it sounds… you've got to do what your heart tells you. You can't please everyone. In the end, what _you_ want is the most important… Whatever happens, all I care about is you. You need to be happy."

Heather's eyes searched Naya's for any hint of falsity in her words and she was pleased when she couldn't find any. It was everything Heather needed to hear and more. She was glad Naya was the exact opposite of everything she was dreading. All her doubts and demons were being chased away little by little. Naya hadn't given her any answers… but she helped clear things up. An appreciative smile played on her lips as she looked to her with all the love and gratitude she felt in her heart. Heather had this dying need to kiss the girl at that moment…

"Why do you always have the right words to say?" Heather breathed out, squeezing Naya's hands.

Naya broke into a smile and spoke more to herself than with to Heather, "I normally don't actually… usually it's you with the answers. I'm always the one who gets stuck in a stuttering mess."

"What?" Heather asked, but was now smiling as well.

Naya shook her head, grinning at her old, love-stricken habits, "Nothing. It's not important."

"Thank you, though… for understanding."

"Of course, Hemo… I told you, I'm always here and I'm not going anywhere."

Heather nodded and Naya smiled. She was relieved. She thanked God she didn't have to do this alone, because she honestly didn't know how she would make it without Naya weaving her fingers through hers.

"Oh, before I forget," Naya turned over to her dresser and rummaged through the assortment of cosmetics cluttering the surface.

"Aha!" Naya had grabbed a tin palette of strawberry lip balm and took the lid off with a pop. "I thought you may need a little moisturizing in this department," she playfully tapped the pad of her index finger on Heather's smiling lips. "They're lookin' a little dry… Dunno if they're worthy of my 'sweet lady kisses' right now."

Heather crinkled her nose at Naya as she batted her hand away. The Latina laughed whole-heartedly.

"Moisturize yourself…" Heather said, even though she thought Naya didn't need it at all.

"Oh please… you've been staring at my lips all morning…" Naya replied huskily.

Heather felt caught as she opened and closed her mouth like a wish out of water. She was thankful when the door squeaked open and Roy popped his head in. When the runner stole the Latina's attention, Heather was finally allowed to breathe.

"Hey, Naya. You should dress in your costume soon; hair will be here in ten."

"Okay, thanks Roy."

Roy waved to both of the actresses and closed the door. Heather stood up to go. As she got up she realized how shaky her knees were.

"I guess that's my cue to leave…"

"I'll see you on set then?" Naya asked as she watched Heather move towards the door.

"Yup. Don't get too excited," Heather remarked slyly with a wink.

Naya leaned forward propping her chin in her palm as she replied with a mischievous grin, "Hm… I'll do my best to control myself, but you know me. I have a thing for blondes."

Heather rolled her eyes as her cheeks began to blush furiously. She opened the door and prodded out back onto the lot. When the door clicked shut, Naya's full grin beamed brightly. She leaned over to her couch and grabbed Harold, squeezing her purple friend to her chest. She squealed, excitedly into his fur.

"It looks like things are finally changing, Harold… Things are changing for the best."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I'll keep this note short. I really hope this chapter is all you hoped it to be! I tried my best to do the scene justice… practically watched the part a billion times, which I honestly didn't mind :)

This chapter will always and forever be dedicated to my fabulous betas fossil_10 and sarakeleeg :) Love you ladies

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 13<p>

It felt like a contest. Who could hold out the longest as the two actresses chased each other around set for the majority of the day. Teasing and flirting, the two threw suggestive expressions whenever they walked past each other; Heather with her winks and Naya with her air kisses. But really, deep down both of their hearts were wracking their bodies painfully and their heads racing with battling thoughts. The word "nervous" didn't seem to represent the feeling properly.

Naya couldn't contain her cheeks as they constantly tugged her lips into a beaming smile. Kevin was the first to notice when he waved hello to her and had to do a double take on his co-worker's abnormally giddy demeanor. It didn't mean everyone wasn't enjoying the Latina's noticeable mood shift. They were just a little confused. Naya was a ball of emotions, excited for one second then mortified the next… Her brain kept trying to persuade her that this was all very unreal and that at any given moment she would wake up. But when she didn't wake up her smile would grow wider. Naya felt good… better than good, she felt fantastic. Although she may have been tired from Lea's rant the night before, she was basking in a new glow. She loved this slight change in their relationship as she felt a tiny surge of the old confident Naya return. She was still completely love-struck, that would never really change when it came to Heather, however things were ever so different. She felt like she wasn't completely hiding anymore as she found herself wearing her heart on her sleeve. Whenever Heather was in any close proximity, Naya couldn't help but lock her eyes knowingly with Heather and share silent conversations.

Finally, the rest of the cast began to dissipate off set to start their weekend. When Naya bounded down her trailer steps to head to their scheduled lot, Lea passed by with Dianna. Naya eyed the two of them and gave a secret smile to Lea who seemed all too enthusiastic to be with the angelic blonde. Lea quickly turned to Naya when Dianna was busy with her phone.

"Good luck tonight! Make me proud, darling," Lea called over to Naya and gave her another quick wink.

Naya rolled her eyes in response, but couldn't help her uncontrollable smile. Lea giggled as she continued the opposite way of Naya. What the two didn't notice was Dianna's fingers paused hovering over her phone and her heavy gaze upon the two actresses. Her eyes filled with suspicion when she observed the out-of-place interaction, but she tried her best to simply shrug it off.

Prodding over in the direction of where the scene was to be filmed, Naya's heart began to fill with anticipation with every beat. Her mind continued to work on overdrive. The closer she got, the more she began to second guess herself.

_What if Lea was right? What if we're not ready for this? You're so fucking stupid to have waited so long to talk to her… It probably isn't a good idea that your second kiss is going to be filmed and broadcasted in front of millions of people in the next month… Shit, we're making out in front of everyone and you don't even know how Heather feels about you. _

Her pace suddenly slowed as she gulped at her horrifying thoughts.

"Naya! Wait up!"

Her heart skipped a beat.

Naya turned to that lovely voice, all negative thoughts slipping away; Heather making her completely forget her insecurities. Heather used to make her feel the opposite. Whenever the blonde came bounding towards her, Naya's cheeks would flush making her worry that her inability to control her involuntary physical reactions to the girl would go noticed. She was grateful that she no longer had to labor over the stuttering, slip-ups, constant blushing, and the works. Now she could just… be. Her dancing smile returned as Heather joined her side catching Naya's forearm and giving an affectionate squeeze as a greeting.

"Why is it that I always find myself chasing after you? And in more than one way…" the blonde spoke with playfulness in her voice, but Naya could still hear the curiosity in the question.

"Well, you always seem to catch up," Naya chuckled in response.

"You should give me the heads up next time so I could walk with you… It's better when we're at the same pace."

Why did Naya feel like all their conversations were starting to have double meanings? Although she didn't want to push her friend, she wished she could get more direct answers…

"I'll try to keep that in mind next time."

"Mhm… don't you forget it," Heather said and blew a bubble with gum. It popped loudly in Naya's ear.

"So you did take the gum thing seriously? Better have picked a good flavor," Naya joked with a mischievous grin.

Heather smacked her gum playfully, "You'll just have to wait to find out."

"Looking forward to it…" Naya slipped, but before she could blush Heather beamed brightly at her. _I could get used to this…_ Naya thought as the two giggled their way over to the unknown that was yet to come.

"Okay ladies, can you just take your places while we get everything else set up? Thank you!" Eric Stoltz called over to the girls while he turned back to talk to one of the cameramen.

Naya and Heather were the only two women standing in a rather small floral filled room surrounded by men. Molly was the only exception, as she stood by at the ready for any hair or makeup touches that the two may need throughout the shoot. _Yeah… this is definitely not how I would have wanted our second kiss to go… _Naya thought. _Well, thankfully it's not our first._ She smiled at Heather as she was reminded of that wonderful night under that street lamp. When Heather lowered her eyes innocently and smiled to her sweetly, Naya's heart fluttered for what seemed like the millionth time that day. The girl will always have that magical power to make her heart beat twice as fast.

Heather skipped over to Brittany's bed and flounced onto the mattress. The bouncing motion from the contact made the pleats of her cheerio skirt splay out, revealing those creamy long legs and a good view of her red spanks. Naya gulped at the lump in her throat and played with her fingers as awfully dirty thoughts invaded her mind. She had to blink several times to get herself to snap back into her professional self, however Heather wasn't helping when she spoke to the flushing Latina.

The blonde's normally bubbly eyes, darkened and her lips played a smirk as she devilishly husked, "Would you like to join me on the…" she slapped her palm down on the mattress making an efficient thwacking sound, "…bed."

"Uh…" Naya breathed out of her gaping lips while her eyes widened. She wasn't quite sure how she should respond to _that_…

Heather was trying her best to maintain her seductive gaze on Naya, but her act was slipping and her giggles creeping. She reveled in the way she able to make Naya squirm anxiously. Naya was pretty sure she looked pathetic, just add a little drool and you got horny teenage boy standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed. Her eyes were still trained on the milky skin that met the crimson red of the tight spandex of Heather's spanks. With every second that passed a couple more of Naya's brain cells died. When she finally could, her eyes shot back up to Heather's face which was one of clear amusement. The blonde was biting her lower lip to refrain herself from bursting into fits of laughter and her eyes danced with mischief.

Naya rolled her eyes and shook her head to snap out of her trance. She took a deep breath in as she walked over to the side of the bed. Heather watched her intently as she moved closer.

"Okay…" Naya said in a whisper. She climbed on the bed quickly, but swiftly. She never broke eye contact with Heather. Heather's eyes widened slightly from Naya's bold advances. Her eyebrow quirked up and her cheeks and ears flushed red in excitement of the image of Naya prowling up her body. The Latina straddled the blonde's hips forcing her to lie down, her head hitting the pillow softly. Naya positioned her hands on either side of Heather's head, hovering above her body. Heather simply stared up at her with big blue, hazy eyes and licked her parted smiling lips. Naya found it a little funny how the roles of their characters were so reversed, thinking how in their real relationship Heather was the one who made the first move and found her way on top of Naya. _Well, that's something that we will have to change…_ Naya dared to be bold as she leaned in to whisper into Heather's ear.

"We can play that game if you want," Naya's voice was flirtatious and Heather leaned in to her warm breath on hitting her neck.

"I knew you just wanted to get into my pants," Heather giggled just loving the feel of Naya's body pressed firmly in all the right places. She ran her hands up Naya's warm, caramel thighs and she could feel the Latina shiver above her from the touch. She smiled even wider.

Naya bit her lip. Her eyes locked with Heather's when she said, "I want more than just getting into your pants, Heather."

Heather just stared up at her in response. They shared a moment of silence, simply enjoying the closeness of their bodies. The position was undoubtedly teasing their minds to near insanity, but just being in such close proximity was enough for them to be content… for now. Naya knew she could spend hours like this, simply staring down at Heather's soft beautiful features. Their bubble was soon popped and their little world invaded as the director spoke back out to them, and quite harshly.

"Whoa, ladies… What do you think you're doing?" Eric said as he turned back to the two actresses. The two looked to each other as if it were obvious.

"Um, what does it look like?" Naya replied. "The script says we are supposed to be lying on the bed together… after scissoring."

"No, no…" Eric sighed squeezing the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I guess the producers didn't talk to you. I'm pretty sure someone was supposed to talk to them?" he said looking around to the crew, who all diverted eye-contact with the man.

"It's not your fault. But, uh… Producers can't have you_ actually_ on top of each other."

"What?" the two of the said in unison and Heather bolted upright almost, knocking her forehead into Naya's. Naya looked at her and had to hide her smirk as Heather looked sincerely disappointed.

"Hey," he said putting his hands up in defense. "Not my decision. They said the position is too suggestive if your bodies are against each other… especially like that."

"But the line says we're taking a break from scissoring? Isn't that suggestive enough?" Naya pointed.

"Listen ladies, this isn't something I can control. We're just going to have to work with it…"

Heather rolled her eyes for only Naya to see. Naya simply sighed, but gave an encouraging smile.

Eric continued, "Now, if you can just lay on your back Heather, and Naya you can… No, no… not like that. Remember ladies, minimal contact…"

"This is ridiculous," Naya mumbled under her breath, and Heather giggled at her as one of the crew members tried to help direct Naya in positioning her body so she was half on and half off of Heather's body. After some fidgeting, Naya was finally propped up against Heather's chest awkwardly, her arms squeezed uncomfortably against her boobs. Heather wasn't helping the situation at all as she squirmed and laughed out whenever Naya would graze over her sides or across the cushion of her chest. This was definitely not how Naya had imagined her first time feeling Heather up would be like.

Eric examined the two's body positions through his camera lens when he called out, "Actually. Can we have Heather prop up hips so we can see the length of her legs through the camera?"

"How are you suggesting we do that if I'm lying on my back like this?" Heather asked.

"Just prop your hips to the side, so the camera can tell Naya isn't lying on top of you."

"Is he serious?" Heather whispered to Naya. This time she was the one to giggle.

Heather shifted her hips so the lower half of her body was lying on the side while her back was still laid flat on the bed. Heather pursed her lips uncomfortably.

"Is this good for you?" she called out and Naya could tell she was annoyed.

"Yes, great ladies!" Eric said from behind the camera. "Okay, let's take it from the top. Nothing too heavy now…"

Naya quirked an eyebrow at Heather and the blonde smiled devilishly back. Heather's eyes glimmered with anticipation as she stared unabashedly at Naya's full lips. Her heart was beating hard against her chest and she was positive that Naya felt it too. Naya's sock covered toes twiddled against the railings of the bed frame, every fiber in her body buzzing with need and excitement. Naya began to lower herself closer to Heather's awaiting parted lips.

"And, action!"

With one last look up into Heather's darkened blue eyes, Naya smiled as she dipped down and closed the distance between their lips. Heather immediately sighed at the contact, closing her eyes so she could simply feel the way Naya's lips deliciously melded into hers. Relief spread through her body as she was thankful to finally have Naya's heavenly set on lips caressing hers so wonderfully. Fireworks in the shape of Mickey Mouse began bursting in the back of Heather's mind again as she smiled at the similar, yet amazingly new emotion bloom in her heart. She pulled Naya up closer, fingers playing at the back of her neck, encouraging her 'sweet lady kisses' onward. She certainly did have 'sweet lady kisses' indeed…

Forgetting their surroundings, Naya deepened the kiss, needing to know Heather wanted this as badly as she did. She swiped the tip of her tongue lightly against Heather's lower lip and she moaned at the contact, granting her access. Naya's tongue danced with Heather's with the lightest of touches that made Heather's head spin. _Nate definitely doesn't kiss like this…_ She thought momentarily.

"Wait! Wait! Cut! Stop ladies."

Naya's lips left Heather's with a quiet, smack. Both of the girls were breathless and Heather still had her eyes closed, wishing Naya could just continue to lavish her lips. She began thinking of ways to prolong this whole process… deviating plans to mess them up so Naya could just keep kissing her. Naya turned to face their director, while Heather was still trying to recoup. Her breath was hitting Naya's neck in even puffs.

Naya watched as Eric rubbed at his eyes. "I guess they didn't tell you this either… but you two can't really kiss."

That caught Heather's attention as her eyes flew open and her neck snapped to face their director.

"What?" Heather exclaimed. The thoughts in the back of her mind were growling in disappointment. Naya stared at her friend who was evidently frustrated by Eric's words.

"But, but…" Heather spluttered, Naya just continued to watch Heather's face in amusement. "In the script it says we're kissing on Brittany's bed."

Heather was not going to let this go.

"Yeah… I know. But, uh… It didn't settle too well with the network. We have to substitute with necking. I hope that's okay with you two."

It really wasn't, but not in the same way Eric was thinking.

"If you're not comfortable with it, you can pretend to be kissing Heather's neck on the opposite side from the camera angle if you'd like. Viewers won't be able to tell."

"Oh no, we're not faking anything," Naya stated, which made Heather crack a grin.

"Okay great. Let's restart people."

Crew members shuffled around and readjusted the lighting in the room, giving a chance for Naya to whisper to Heather.

"Cheer up. It could be worse…" Naya tried.

"How? You're not even really lying on top of me… and this is the most fucking uncomfortable position I've ever been in… I'm pretty sure no one actually makes out like this. If they do, they're just stupid," the blonde mumbled in aggravation as she shifted again. Naya laughed. Was it wrong of her to relish the fact that Heather sounded so disappointed?

"Apparently the G-rated version of Brittany and Santana do," Naya smirked.

"I think we both know very well this is not how Brittany and Santana make-out… I have a feeling it's definitely more Showtime, HBO material if you ask me," Heather replied with a giggle.

"Why do I get the sense that you've given this some extra thinking?" Heather blushed. "Well… on a side note, you picked a good flavor. How did you know cinnamon was my favorite flavored gum?" Naya said catching Heather's attention.

"Because it's the only flavor you actually accept whenever I offer you a piece of my assortment of gum packages," Heather replied, with that dazzling smile.

"Hm… Very observant of you, Morris," Naya said with a smirk.

"What can I say? I know my friends well. I see more than you think…"

That made Naya worry a little bit. But she didn't have time to let her nerves get to her as Eric yelled out another 'ready' and 'action'. Naya immersed herself back into her character as her coy 'Santana smirk' played on her lips. She dipped back down, except this time she followed directions and trailed teasingly soft kisses on the smooth curvature of Heather's neck. Naya started at the small portion of Heather's exposed collarbone then worked her way up the creamy flesh. When she hit her pulse point she could feel the strong rhythm pounding against her lips; the feeling made her smile and her toes to continue to twiddle with the bedframe.

All thought had flown out of the blonde's brain. Heather was having a hard time with getting her head straight, so she gave up on thinking altogether and chose to focus on the burning sensation of Naya's wonderful kisses. She sighed into their embrace and held on to Naya's neck to encourage her onward. As Naya's lips reached that extra special sensitive spot on her neck, Heather couldn't help but emit a rather low, throaty moan. She hoped no one heard.

"Line…" Eric hissed, but neither of the girls were paying too much attention to their job.

"Line!" Eric spoke up a little louder.

When he still received no response he nearly shouted, "Line, Heather!"

Heather's closed eyes flew back open. She couldn't even recall closing them. Naya resurfaced from sucking at Heather's honey and maple syrup laden skin, licking her lips lazily.

Eyes refocusing Heather managed out, "Uh… oh… um… Sorry, what was the line?"

"It's only six words… Heather," Eric sighed rubbing at his eyes. "Sweet lady kisses? Remember?"

"Yah, yah… I'm sorry. I guess I'm just…" Heather spoke breathlessly, looking up at Naya, "…distracted."

Naya smiled.

"Okay… We'll just do it again. Take it from the first line, Heather. Oh and Naya why don't we lose the ponytail?"

Naya reached up and slid her hairband from her sleek locks, sending her hair cascading on her shoulders. She massaged her scalp a little to get out all the kinks.

"Better?"

"Yes, much…" Eric said staring at the monitor.

"I agree…" Heather spoke softly in admiration as she looked up at her beautiful friend. Naya's tanned cheeks inevitably turned a slight shade of pink.

"And… Action!"

"I love your sweet lady kisses…" Heather managed out breathlessly.

Naya poised and collected, looked up at Heather and in her sultry Santana voice said, "Mhm… It's a nice break from all that scissoring."

Naya leaned back down and gave a chaste kiss at the corner of Heather's smiling mouth. Just before she could go back to her handiwork, Heather leaned up slightly and placed a quick kiss to Naya's nose. Naya paused for a second, looking down at the blushing red, smiling blonde. The Latina couldn't help, but let a very un-Santana like smile grace the corners of her mouth in return. To hide her mischaracterization Naya nuzzled at Heather's hairline causing the blonde to falter with her lines again. Teasingly, Naya nibbled at the soft, delicate skin of Heather's earlobe and the girl burst into a fit of giggles. This resulted in another grumpy director.

"I'm sorry! Naya's being mean! Won't happen again…"

However, it did happen again. It went on like that for about seven more takes, but they all sorta blurred together to Heather. For all she knew there could have been anywhere from three to fifteen. By the time Eric called it a wrap, Heather's ears were officially stained red and her eyelids were permanently at a half-closed. She was in a daze; the only thing she was really aware of was the aching in between her legs. Naya had gotten up first and prodded over to her chair on the side of the set to slip on her shoes. Heather meanwhile had to take her time. She probably looked like an old lady as she got up slowly on extremely shaky legs.

She took a few deep breaths in to clear her mind a little. _Just walk it off. Walk it off Heather._

The rest of the crew began to clear off the set as everyone was ready for it to be the weekend, leaving the two of them alone. Heather watched as Naya was typing away at her phone. She approached her and stood behind her chair. Heather gingerly placed her hands on her shoulders and began to knead the knots in her muscles with expertise fingers. Naya sighed loudly at the soothing rubbing and she rolled her head forward so Heather could get better access.

"Whatcha typin'?" Heather whispered curiously.

"Just sent out a Tweet…" Naya could only manage as she was completely succumbed to Heather's touch.

"A Tweet about?"

"How I'm sad that I missed the Stand Up To Cancer Telethon…" she sighed out contently.

Heather's squeezing and massaging suddenly stopped.

"Oh…" she said in disappointment.

Naya turned around to face her friend, "And then I said how fans are going to be blown away by a scene I just filmed. Cause really… it was amazing."

"Yeah?" Heather said that sparkling smile returning.

"Yes."

Naya took Heather's hand in hers and the blonde looked down at their interlocked fingers. Naya could see her mind racing.

"What are you thinking?" Naya asked gently.

"I… I have a question for you," Heather spoke up meeting her gaze. Naya nodded encouragingly.

Heather took a deep breath in.

"Naya… Are… Are you gay?"

_Wasn't expecting that one._

She wasn't going to lie, that pushed her a little off balance. Reality was suddenly crashing back down onto her shoulders. Her heart hammered a little harder as she felt suddenly nervous to answer. She knew she liked girls, but she's only publically been with guys so for all Heather knew Naya was straight. Yes, Heather did kiss her, but that didn't mean she liked girls too and Naya knew that. She had plenty experiences with girls who would kiss her, but were completely straight. Even though the two shared a kiss, Naya was still terrified Heather would look at her differently if she said yes. She gulped nervously and Heather instantly noticed her uneasiness.

"You don't have to answer that… I'm sorry—"

"No… don't apologize. It's just…" Naya looked deeply in Heather's eyes. She whispered timidly, "Would you hate me if I was?"

Heather's eyes widened, "No! Naya, of course I wouldn't hate you. I could _never_ hate you. You do realize I'm a dancer right? I have plenty of gay friends. You could tell me these things you know?"

Naya averted her gaze bashfully.

"You're right… I don't know what I was thinking. I guess… I guess I was just worried that you would act differently around me or something if I ever told you."

"Naya… please," Heather squeezed her hand and spoke sincerely. "I want you to know that you can talk to me about these things. You can tell me anything and I'll never judge you. It scares me a little that after two years you still feel the need to hide stuff from me. I wish, well I thought, that you felt comfortable enough with me to tell me something like this a long time ago."

"I do! Heather… you're the only one on this set that I trust completely, you know that. I mean it's not like I haven't been attracted to guys or anything... I'm open to anything and anyone that makes me happy. It just happens that I've been kinda swept away by a girl at the moment. Well, more so I've been hung up on this particular person for quite some time. It made me nervous that if you knew that you would… I don't know… hate me…" Naya mumbled hopelessly.

"And I just… I thought…" Naya faltered. "I'm sorry…"

"Hey, look at me…" Heather lifted the brunette's chin. "You did nothing wrong. Please… please know I could never hate you. I don't want that idea running through your head anymore. It's just communication. We have issues with that."

Naya gave a light chuckle.

"I think you are perfect Naya, every bit of you. Just the way you are… You should be told that and often."

Naya looked back up and Heather and got lost in those sky blue eyes again. She smiled, sincerely grateful that Heather didn't condemn her to hell or anything… If something like that happened, Naya didn't know what she would do.

Trying to lighten the mood she said, "Oh stop it… Now you're just trying to make me blush."

Heather giggled, "Oops. I'm caught."

Naya laughed with her.

"I have one more question," Heather spoke up after their giggle fest.

"Anything."

"Did Mark make you happy?" Heather's words were laced with curiosity. She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth, nervous what the Latina would say.

"You want me to be honest with you?" Naya asked, trying to think of her words carefully.

"Yes, communication. No more lies and no more hiding," Heather confirmed.

Naya paused and chewed on her lip. Finally she said, "I… I only dated him because I was trying to make someone else on set jealous."

Heather's eyebrow raised, "Oh… I see."

"Yeah… I don't think it really worked," Naya said with an embarrassed chuckle.

"You don't know that… I think it worked more than you think it did…" Heather murmured, looking down at her feet.

"Really?" Naya asked, a small hopeful smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, really."

They shared a moment of silent, trying to read each other's minds.

Naya broke the stillness of the set when she declared, "No matter what happens to us, I want you to know that you mean the world to me, Heather. I'll never stop caring about you."

With glistening blue eyes, Heather stole her heart all over again, "Neither will I."


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: This part/night is broken into three parts, so don't worry it will make a full loop by the next part. To make up for lost time, this chapter is a long one, and quite a bit happens. Hope you all like it!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 14<p>

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010. It was a day Naya Rivera could never forget. A day that changed everything she knew… Naya imagined that if the world would end, it would feel a lot like this. Everything had been so great, almost perfect. Then everything had to get fucked up. It was a reminder that she was Naya Rivera… she could never get what she wanted. Reality crashed on her shoulders, making her realize she wasn't Santana Lopez who could easily tear down the world with a quirk of her eyebrow. She was anything but… 'Happily ever afters' were saved for fairy tales and heterosexual relationships. Naya would never get the luxury. She sat engulfed in a pool of sheets on a bed that was definitely not her own. She was clad in only very large, oversized shirt that hung over one shoulder and her undergarments. She pulled at the cut off tee, collecting the material between her fingers. She couldn't recognize it. She began to replay what happened the day before for the millionth time, forehead in the palm on her hand. As the images flooded her mind so did the unshed tears; she reminded herself of all the regretted actions and choices of the night before. When she woke up it was Wednesday, September 29th, 2010. Naya was utterly terrified of what the day was going to bring her next…

The thought filled her heart heavy with worry, sadness, and most of all guilt.

_How did I let this go so far? You ruined everything…_

_September 28__th__, 2010: 7:15 AM_

"Scarlett or Natalie?"

Naya scowled, swiveling in her hair and make-up chair, "Don't do this to me."

"What? It's a simple question!" Heather exclaimed with bright eyes. She sipped her coffee casually as she lay out sprawled on Naya's couch.

"Easy for you to say…"

It had been about five days since shooting the Duets scene, putting Naya somewhere on Cloud 9. Her weekend had consisted of nothing but Heather as their relationship had returned to that inseparable stage they had when they first met. Friday night after shooting the scene, Heather had come over and Naya made her dinner. The night was innocent, even though Naya had to get her head out of the gutter several times throughout the evening. Naya basically dished to Heather on her past… what could you call them? Female extravaganzas? Whatever they were, Heather joked and cried and held on to Naya at all the right moments.

The extent of their physical intimacy was simply cuddling on Naya's couch watching a marathon of Teen Mom. At the end of the night Naya decided to be chivalrous, and suggested Heather should go home for the night. It took all the will power and strength she had to do so. Naya's heart fluttered a little contentedly by the way Heather seemed so disappointed. But it was only appropriate. She knew if she stayed the night, Naya wasn't so sure if she would have been able to control herself. Just to clarify to others, namely Lea, when she closed the door she did _not_ do her 'Naya' dance around her house nor did she squeal like a thirteen year old teen back from her first date… Oh, who was she kidding? She is a horrible liar.

To top it off, Heather told Naya that Nate was going to be gone for a few days to go back home to visit his family. His mom had enough of brief phone calls and vague texts. She demanded that her son come home to see the family. Nate tried to get out of it at first, his excuse being that he may miss the premiere of Heather's featured episode Britney/Brittany. But Heather guilt tripped him into going.

"_There's no way I'm letting you ignore your mother…"_

"_But—"_

"_No buts! She already hates me enough when you decided to move so far from home for me. They're your family! You're going and that's that!"_

Naya wasn't sure how she should take the information and why Heather had so insistently pushed Nate to go home. She didn't know if it meant something more or if Heather was just messing with her head again. Naya just tried her best to ignore it. She was going to take Nate's absence to her full advantage. Even if she was only limited to simply hanging out with her, she would take it. It was selfish, she wouldn't deny that. But she had a taste of Heather and she knew something was there. Now all she wanted was more.

After so many years carrying her secret heavily on her shoulders, the wonderful relief Naya had felt after she had consoled Heather about her sexuality was nonetheless liberating. She was surprised to find that the confession had somehow made the two even closer. It made her regret not telling Heather earlier, but it didn't matter… they were making up for lost time. It was as if they were restarting their relationship. They were discovering each other all over again and it felt amazing.

"Come on, Nay! Choose!"

"It's a hard decision! It's like choosing between champagne and vodka… It depends on the occasion…"

"You did not just compare women to alcohol… your analogies never makes sense," Heather replied with a snort.

"Okay now, you always diss on my perfectly ingenious comparisons. Can you suggest a better one?" Naya mocked.

"Nay, you're getting off topic. Answer the question," Heather said bluntly, a stern expression on her face that just made Naya want to giggle at her.

"Ugh, I don't know! If I really have to decide," Naya tapped her chin in thought, a slow smile spreading her lips. "They're ridiculously hot, and I would tap both… but since you're so adamant… I would say Scarlett."

Heather cocked her head to the side as she observed her now blushing friend. A wide grin beaming spread on her lips.

"Really?"

"Yeah… why? Were you expecting a different answer?" Naya chuckled, second-guessing her answer.

"Oh, well I don't know… I just always thought of you as a Natalie Portman kinda girl…" Heather admitted taking another sip from her coffee.

"I am… But like I said. I'm a huge sucker for blondes," Naya said smiling coyly. This time Heather blushed. Naya loved this. Openly flirting with Heather was the best thing ever… well second to kissing her.

"So…" Heather started again, shaking out of her reverie. "You're still staying over after the Brit/Brit episode airs right? A celebration is certainly in order…"

"Amen to that," Naya replied. She was physically drained. Shooting these past two days have been exhausting as they had been cramming the rest of filming Duets in and started voice recordings and costume fittings for the Rocky Horror Show episode. A break was very much needed. She wasn't quite sure how it happened, but Heather had invited her a while back when they were hanging out this past weekend to help set her house up so she could host the Britney/Brittany episode. If this were a month ago, Naya would have tried everything to get out of it. Somehow, Heather had willed out a 'yes' from Naya and now she was suddenly staying over the night on the eve of Heather's big debut.

"I take that as a yes then?"

"It's a definitely."

_September 27__th__, 2010: 5:03 PM_

Naya was literally counting down the minutes till she could get out of her Cheerios uniform and over to Heather's house. The cast had been sitting in the choir room for majority of the afternoon, filming several of the characters duets. Naya was pretty sure she wasn't the only one staring at the clock, because everyone seemed antsy. They were constantly conversing how Heather's party tonight was going to be the perfect opportunity to relax and catch up with the cast. According to Cory, it was also the perfect time to get wasted. Naya looked over to Heather who was sitting on the lower risers next to Kevin. Heather on the other hand seemed… anxious. It was slightly out of the ordinary for the normally overzealous girl, but Naya knew she must be nervous for the episode tonight. To be quite honest, she was too… but she was more nervous for other reasons; namely spending the whole night alone with a certain blonde.

"And that's a wrap!" Eric finally announced to the cast and they all let out a sigh in unison. "Good job everyone! Be thankful I'm letting you guys off a little earlier than normal… We all know tonight will be a big one! Today was hectic, but tomorrow's filming schedule looks a tad lighter… Hang in there, you're all doing great work. Have a great evening everyone!"

"Thank goodness…" Amber mumbled beside her. "I need my beauty rest, stat."

"Whoa Cover Girl, aren't you going to Heather's party?"

"Yes, which doesn't start till like 7:30, girl. That gives me plenty of time to catch up on sleep," she said getting up from her red plastic chair. Naya chuckled.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight," Naya replied, getting up as well. She sought out Heather already gathering up her things, she looked up and gave a small wave. Smiling brightly, the blonde gave a quick wink causing Naya to almost stumble down the bleachers. Lea who was standing nearby next to Dianna noticed. The shorter brunette sauntered mischievously over to Naya and poked at her sides. Dianna watched intently.

"Hey! Stop it!" Naya giggled, batting Lea's fingers away.

"What was that?" Lea said assumptions lacing her words.

"What was what?" Naya asked oblivious to what Lea was referring to.

"Oh come on…" Lea rolled her eyes and then whispered closely in her ear, "Heather is practically unzipping your cheerleading uniform with her eyes."

Naya looked back over to where Heather was standing off set. The blonde had pulled her lower lip between her teeth as her eyes were blatantly raking over Naya's thighs. She caught Naya's gaze and quickly snapped away her staring and began to pointlessly rummage through her bag. Naya smiled sheepishly.

"Wait…" Lea started getting Naya's attention back. "Are you two sleeping together?"

Naya glared at her.

"What? No, we—"

"Hey guys. What's going on?" Dianna butted in quietly, and Naya noted how she was fiddling with her fingers.

"Nothing," Naya answered quickly, hoping she hadn't overheard Lea's question. She looked around off set and noticed that Heather had already left to go change. Naya exhaled in relief that Heather wasn't around when the words were spoken.

"Don't think you're getting away from this that easily," Lea sung pointedly and Naya elbowed her roughly as she watched Dianna's eyebrow rise. Lea rubbed her arm.

"Ha ha… she's just kidding around," Naya fakely laughed through clenched teeth.

"Um… okay…" Dianna said looking between the two of them. "I just wanted to ask if either you wanted a ride with Alex and me to Heather's place tonight. I don't think her neighbors will appreciate the entire street being filled."

Naya could see out of the corner of her eye as Lea's face dropped by the mention of Dianna's boyfriend's name. The petite girl glowered at the floor, forcing Naya to answer the blonde's question.

"I was actually going to catch a ride with Heather back to her place since we carpooled this morning. Now that I mention that… I should probably go and change so she doesn't have to wait for me," Naya started to leave, but was stopped when Lea grabbed her arm and spoke up harshly.

"You're bringing Alex?" Naya could hear the stinging jealousy in Lea's voice. All she could do was stand there awkwardly. She waited, just in case Lea decided to go all rogue on the situation.

"Yeah… I asked Heather if it was alright. He is my _boyfriend_," Dianna spoke slowly and carefully. Naya had to physically wince at how she emphasized the last word. This was not going to be good…

"Oh really?" Lea said folding her arms across her chest. "Isn't this supposed to be a Glee cast only event? Right, Naya?"

"I… uh…well… it's just a…" Naya mumbled miserably as she was put on the spot.

Dianna started to fume as well, "I told you. I asked Heather and she said it was fine. I don't see what the problem is…"

"You know well what the problem is, Dianna," Lea accused.

"Okay… I think I'm just gonna let you two chat this out… I should really… go," Naya tried again to leave, but was stopped for the second time.

"No. You're staying," Lea angrily pointed at her. "I need a witness."

Naya was stuck.

"Don't be immature, Lea…" Dianna tried to plead softly.

"I'm not! I'm the one that's being realistic in this situation! You told me things weren't working out between you two!"

"Lea, let's not do this right now…"

"No, you told me he was becoming possessive, overbearing, and irrationally jealous," Lea listed out on her fingers. "And! You said he was stealing your phone to see who you've been talking to lately! Dianna that is not a normal relationship!"

"It's not like I can prove any of that though. Aside from that he's been nothing but loving when I'm with him. I don't think that's enough to break up with him…" Dianna tried to explain weakly. Naya could tell that this subject had been brought up on more than one occasion. This was all a sticky mess, one that Naya really did not want to be a part of.

"I'm tired of your excuses," Lea began angrily. "If you'll settle for being treated like this, fine. Just don't expect me to support it."

With that Lea marched off set, aggressively pushing the double doors open with a large smack. _She certainly is a diva…_ Naya thought with a sigh. She looked back over to Dianna to be faced with a sight she had never seen before on the angelic blonde unless the cameras were rolling. She looked… heartbroken. All this was way more complicated that she thought.

"Hey… you okay?" Naya tried cautiously to the slouching, downcast angel.

"Yeah…" she mumbled. "I just can't do anything right…"

"I know the feeling," Naya reassured and Dianna's green, hazel eyes looked up at her.

"She's so frustrating sometimes!" Naya had to nod in agreement. "But I… I need to talk to her…"

"Maybe you should let me try? So you can both cool down a little before one of you decides to bite the others head off."

Dianna smiled weakly, "Thanks."

Being given the go-ahead, Naya ran off in search of the drama queen. Once she walked through the double doors, she found that Lea hadn't made it too far. Naya thought that Lea probably wanted to be found. The tiny brunette was pacing a hole into the ground, blundering away about how Dianna could do so much better. Naya sighed, heart sinking slightly at the sight of her friend. She knew the feeling. She never expressed it to Lea's extent, but she knew where the girl's heart was.

Naya started cautiously, making sure Lea wouldn't lash out on her.

"Hey, Lea? You okay?"

Hearing the Latina's voice, Lea's head snapped up alarmingly quick. Naya was sure the girl's spine should have cracked and she jumped from the sudden movement. Lea's dark brown eyes bored at her and Naya couldn't help but cower slightly. She couldn't believe she was cowering to a girl she could definitely take down in a fight.

"Does it look like I'm alright? You heard what was said back there Naya! Don't tell me you're not pissed either," Lea spat angrily.

"It's not her fault. You can't control how someone feels," Naya tried gently.

"He treats her like shit… she can do better," Lea spoke, her voice noticeably calmer.

"I don't disagree with you. She can _totally_ do better. But we both know Dianna well enough to know she has an impeccable judge of character. There must be something about him that she sees that we don't… She obviously likes the dude to be trying so hard. I'm not saying he's a great guy or anything, when I met him he was a total doosh. So believe me, I'm on your side. There's just not much you can do when it's someone else's relationship…" Naya explained.

Lea didn't respond she just stood there pouting. Naya took the opportunity to approach her, placing a comforting hand on Lea's forearm.

"You just… have to remember your place sometimes. We're her friends first. We can tell her the truth all we want, but in the end it's her decision. It's not our place to tell her to break up with the guy or not. I know you care Lea, we all do… but give her a little break. She's trying her best to compensate."

Lea rolled her eyes which took Naya aback.

"Oh please… you're such a hypocrite."

Naya's eyebrows furrowed in frustration and her hand dropped from Lea's arm.

"What? Lea, I'm just trying to—"

"Help? Okay… Right. You tell me all this shit about how to be a friend first, well maybe you should teach yourself a little lesson if you know so much about friendship Naya. Here you are, destroying a perfectly happy relationship to have little selfish moments of fleeting touches and secret flirting. Some friend you are…" Lea mumbled grumpily.

"Lea, our situations aren't the same. Heather and I have a different relationship from you and Dianna," Naya tried. Lea was making her grow more enraged by the second.

"Oh please. You're making excuses to justify what you know is wrong, Naya. Just because you're all happy fucking Heather now doesn't mean you can be condescending towards mine and Dianna's friendship," Lea spoke bitterly causing Naya to fume angrily by the shorter girl's harsh words.

"I can't believe you right now…" Naya spoke lowly, deeply stung by Lea's harshness. "How could you say that? You know how I feel about her…"

Lea covered her small hands over her face, letting out a frustrated squeal.

"I just don't get it! It's not fair! You're so happy! Everyone is happy, except for me… You at least had a chance! You always had a chance with Heather because you two have always been Heather and Naya … And Heather's not afraid to show affection towards you… I never… I never…"

Lea started to choke on her words, shoulders heaving uncontrollably. However, the small girl held in her tears that Naya could see were threatening to spill at any moment.

"Hey…" Naya said comfortingly. She sighed deeply. She knew she shouldn't take what Lea said seriously. The girl was emotionally compromised, but still… she couldn't help how the words still stung like a horrible sun burn. It felt like this because she knew what Lea had said was true. She was a terrible friend.

Naya pulled her into a light embrace, calming the diva down.

"You're okay, Lea… You're okay… You just need to breathe."

"Why do I feel like this? I fucking hate how I feel like this," she mumbled.

"Because… you love her," Naya said quietly, pulling away and looking to her friend sincerely. "Listen… I obviously don't know what you and Dianna have and I'm not even going to try to understand what the hell is going on between you two right now. But she obviously cares about you and values your opinion greatly. She looked so broken when I left her."

Lea looked up to finally make eye contact with Naya, "I… I didn't mean to… well I meant to. I wanted her to feel like shit, but that's only because she makes _me_ feel like shit."

Naya chuckled softly, "Well, you certainly did your job well."

"I just hate feeling so…"

"Out of control?" Naya finished and Lea looked to her knowingly.

"I just can't get ahold on myself," Lea murmured dismally.

"I know… Just take it slowly. But I really think you should apologize you know? Tension would be horrible at the party tonight…" Naya was trying her best to make sure this night was perfect for Heather. She didn't want any drama.

"I'm not apologizing for anything," Lea responded stubbornly. Naya looked to her in disbelief.

"Lea! Come on… I think you're blowing this a little out of proportion."

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry for something I am not sorry for. I meant what I said. Now that it's out there, I hope she realizes how he treats her."

"I told you, she cares about what you think! I don't know why, but she does. So she isn't going to let this go easily. Don't turn this ugly, Lea," Naya tried again… this was a lot harder than she thought.

Lea opened her mouth to respond but immediately closed it. Her eyes darted quickly over Naya's shoulder, making the Latina look to her quizzically. There was a glint in Lea's eyes that made her feel very uneasy. She tried to look in the direction of where Lea was staring to as she could faintly hear footsteps.

But then it happened so fast, Naya wasn't too sure what was really going on.

Lea took hold of Naya's chin and pulled her head down, crashing their lips together painfully. Naya was in shock. Her eyes were wide and frightened, while her lips were pressed in a thing line, unmoving against Lea's lips. It had to be the second most awkward kiss Naya had ever had, first being the first time a guy kissed her when she was a thirteen. Two words to describe that: dog slobber.

Lea parted and took two large steps backwards from Naya. Naya… well she was still in shock. To be correct, she was frozen in shock. She didn't move nor was she really breathing. Her eyes were still wide and mortified, staring at Lea. She was sure her face was ghostly white. Lea looked down avoiding Naya's gaze as well as the second person now in the room who witnessed such an awful kiss. Then panic sunk in. _What the fuck just happened?_

Naya turned around slowly to meet Dianna's judgmental eyes. She was quite a distance away from the two other girls. Naya knew she must have stopped dead in her tracks once Lea got a death grip on her chin and pulled her down. Disappointment and sadness was written all over her face and Naya began to shake her head furiously, hoping it would somehow tell Dianna what was going on. She looked so betrayed and even more crushed than before.

"I…" Dianna finally croaked. The sound of her voice made Lea crumple up in regret as she fiddled meaninglessly with her hands. "I am _so_ sorry…"

Dianna looked between the two of them eyes clearly clouding with tears. The look was all too recognizable and Naya could see her begin to fluster absently.

"I didn't know… I should have… made myself known, or something… I didn't know," she kept repeating.

"No, no…" Naya began to explain. _Oh please god no…_ "This isn't what it looks like at all Dianna," she said motioning between her and Lea. "This is all a complete misunderstanding."

Naya looked to Lea desperately.

"Right, Lea?"

The small brunette looked back up to Naya with an unreadable expression, then looked over to Dianna. Naya could see the anger and sadness swell in her eyes. All Naya could think was that this was, _so fucked up…_ Lea shot a quick apologetic look to Naya and gave one final glance to Dianna who was pleading for her to say something with her eyes. But she didn't. Lea ran. Her legs bolted her away from the set, tears streaking her cheeks.

Naya slowly turned back to Dianna.

"Listen, Dianna… I…" she had no idea how to explain this, but Dianna stopped her.

"You don't need to explain. I get it… you guys are together or whatever… or I don't know. Whatever is going on I'm totally f-fine with it… I-I guess I was just… caught off guard," Dianna sniffled weakly, trying to hold back her tears.

"Dianna we're not—"

"It's okay… You don't have to deny it…"

"I'm not denying anything!" Naya spluttered.

"Good. You shouldn't. I'm not going to tell anyone. Promise. It never happened," Dianna concluded for the two of them.

"But—"

"Please, Naya… just leave it alone."

Dianna ran. Tears streaking her cheeks.

Naya was now left alone on an empty set lot, with nothing but a frazzled mind.

_I'm fucked… I'm completely and totally fucked. _

_September 28__th__, 2010: 7:04PM_

"I've been thinking about this all day," Heather groaned breathlessly.

"Mhm…" Naya agreed, her mouth a little occupied.

"So good… oh… so good," Heather continued to mumble over and over again.

Naya looked up at the blonde through her eyelashes and couldn't help, but smirk. Heather's face was laden in pure ecstasy as her eyes were closed delicately.

"Okay, now… Nobody wants to see you two have an orgasm all over a panini. Get a room," Ashley called out sarcastically, taking an inhumane bite from her own perfectly toasted sandwich.

"Oh shut up. You were practically bending over for Naya's guacamole last week," Heather replied.

"I wasn't the only one bending over for something of Naya's that night…" Ashley said knowingly in between crunches.

Heather sent her roommate a dangerous death glare and a good bruise to her shin. Ashley scowled and clutched at her now injured leg. Heather stuck her tongue out at her and Ashley immaturely stuck her's out in response. Naya couldn't help, but chuckle as the two bantered back and forth at the dinner table. She tried to cover her mouth as she snorted, but unfortunately she couldn't catch a few crumbs that sprayed from her lips. It was pretty nasty, she wasn't going to lie.

"Ew… I know that Heather is in the room and all, but please try to contain your bodily fluids Naya," Ashley joked. This time the Latina glared at her.

"You're just on a roll tonight aren't you?"

"Yeah, what's with all the sexual snides and references today?" Heather backed-up Naya.

"Hey, it's my job to make everything into a joke. I'm just shedding light on all this sexual tension in the room," Ashley admitted simply, rising her shoulders in frank admission.

Both girls starred daggers at the sarcastic brunette who took it as her cue to leave.

"Okay then, tough crowd..." she turned to Naya as she grabbed her plate, "I feel like making all that food for everyone was a little pointless Naya. We ended up eating more than half of it."

The three ladies looked around them with blank expressions at the half eaten platters of food that cluttered the kitchen. Naya looked to Heather and simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, we _had_ to try them all… We don't want to serve our guests anything shitty…" Heather tried to justify.

"Right… First, you and I both know that we just kept "tasting" them because we can't get enough of Naya's amazing food. We should have learned from last time that trying always turns into "one more can't hurt anything but our love handles". Secondly, all you need is to supply them alcohol. Then they won't know the difference between good shit and bad shit," Ashley finished popping the last piece of her panini into her mouth.

Naya chortled, while Heather shook her head at her friend. She watched in admiration as that wonderful laughter sung from Naya's lips. She caught herself smiling uncontrollably and forced herself to look down, not to be caught. But Ashley had eyes like a hawk.

"Anyways… I think Heather and I have decided that you should just stay here permanently and be our slave. Or I guess we could pay for your services. And by services I mean all of them," she gave Naya a wink, tossing her dish in the sink and heading out of the kitchen.

Naya's eyebrow rose while Heather's cheeks flushed.

"She can be a little too suggestive sometimes…" Naya commented lightly.

"Yeah, you learn to just ignore it over time. When you really get used to it you start to think of some ingenious comebacks."

"You two are hilarious together. You're always feeding off of each other and it never seems to get old."

"What can I say? She's my sista from another mista," Heather said smiling widely as she leaned across the table closer to Naya.

"Hm… then what am I? Another cousin from some secret lovin'?" Naya replied, leaning forward as well. Heather cringed.

"That was horrible… I think it was your worst analogy yet," blue eyes danced with chocolate brown.

Naya laughed out again, leaning back into her former sitting position.

"You're right… that one was pretty lame, but I couldn't think of anything else that rhymed."

Heather took up Naya's hand that lay on the table between her two palms. She stroked the tan skin softly, fingertips toying with her the Latina's knuckles. The delicate touches were distracting Naya's brain, sending her sensory signals blasting on overload.

"I don't want to think of you as a cousin or a sister… or as any family relative at that…" she spoke quietly as she brought Naya's hand up to her lips and kissed her first two knuckles ever so softly. Naya had to suppress a sigh.

"_Here you are, destroying a perfectly happy relationship to have little selfish moments of fleeting touches and secret flirting. Some friend you are…"_

The painful words echoed in her mind and she regretfully slipped her hand from Heather's cradling palms and ended up squeezing both of her hands in her lap. Heather looked at her dejectedly. Ever since her conversation with Lea, Naya had started to do some rethinking which caused her to second guess herself once again. Naya felt like the villain in this situation. She was stealing Heather away from the good guy. The worst part was that she didn't even feel bad about it when she knew she should. She knew what she should do, but her heart wasn't letting her. She should leave Heather alone to let her sort this out by herself. But it was near impossible to stay away from the blonde. When had she gone from the best friend to the manipulative 'other' person?

Naya took a deep breath in, deciding that a little distance wouldn't hurt. It would help Heather make her decision clearly.

"You're right. I'm your best _friend_," she spoke with a weak smile.

Heather frowned and did nothing to hide it.

"No… That title doesn't do you justice. You definitely mean a lot more than that to me…" she said sincerely, tenderly brushing the stray strands of hair from Naya's face. Naya couldn't help but get caught up in Heather's deep, blue smiling eyes.

_She's making this so difficult… if only she could decide and then I would literally bend her over and…_

She blinked to break the eye contact, taking Heather's wrist and placing it back on the table to refrain from skin contact. Again, the blonde looked to Naya disappointedly.

"You know I feel the same way. I always have," Naya admitted. "But if we're not best friends, then what are we Hemo?"

Naya could see the clenching muscles in Heather's jaw as the blonde contemplated what to say. When she couldn't muster a word, Naya filled in the void.

"It's okay… I get it. I just… I wish sometimes I knew what this relationship was, that's all. Forget what I said," Naya stated, sending Heather a small comforting smile. "Come on. We should clean up this mess we made and at least try to make it look like we have a decent amount of food for everyone."

As she got up, the chair sent a chilling squeak in the kitchen, emphasizing the seclusion of the room. Heather didn't move, she only watched Naya walk over to the sink with their plates. The brunette turned on the facet and began to clean their dirtied dishes. A quizzical expression donned her brow. Heather had noticed that Naya had been acting strange from the moment her friend had fastened her seatbelt in her car. Something was off, and it was starting to worry her. Cooking and baking with someone always has always made Heather touchy feely. She was always the distraction, never doing any of the work. Everyone knew Heather epically fails at preparing any sort of meal, so it was hot watching Naya completely dominating her kitchen. But every time Heather would flirtatiously nudge Naya or flick a little salt or flour at her, the other girl would always hold back. Heather would notice how the Latina's eyes would spark up in excitement, but then she would burrow herself back into her shell scolding Heather to keep her germs to herself while handling food. At first she didn't think anything of it, but time after time it started to make Heather weary.

_What if she's giving up on me?_ Panic swelled her chest. _I hate making her wait… I don't want to make her wait. But there's Nate… Why does everything have to be so fucking complicated? I can't lose her._

The final thought made her stand up abruptly and walk over to Naya. She stood about a foot behind the shorter girl. She couldn't help her eyes as they slowly ran over her bare shoulder that was exposed from her cut off sweatshirt, then down to that perfectly rounded bottom which looked more than amazing in those rather short denim shorts. Heather was pretty confident she was drooling and it wasn't from the platters of food surrounding her. She couldn't believe how much of a perv she was checking out her best friend like this… and in her kitchen.

Heather closed the distance between their bodies by taking one final step. Naya stopped her scrubbing as she could feel Heather's breath softly tickling the back of her neck. Then, warm hands played at her waist and began to encircle around her abdomen. Heather pulled Naya in, back flush into her chest causing the shorter girl's breath to hitch with the presence of the warm body. It didn't surprise either woman how they magically fit so perfectly. Naya removed her hands from the luke warm water and had to place them on either side of the sink in order to keep herself from completely melting into Heather's arms. Her eyes involuntarily fluttered closed.

Heather reached over and turned the tap off, letting the kitchen return to its previous state of silence. She replaced her hand on Naya's waist pulling her in even closer in their embrace and nuzzled her nose into the back of her neck. She breathed in the strong scent of raspberry, cinnamon coffee; the most wonderful blend of the most random fragrances.

"Heather…" Naya breathed out quietly.

"You've been acting a little different ever since we got back to my place. I feel like you're pushing me away again… Why?" Heather mumbled softly into Naya's neck, making her shiver.

"I… I don't mean too. I just don't know anymore…" Naya replied. She did know, it was just ridiculously hard to think of words when Heather was pressed against her in all the right places.

"You don't know how much I wish I could give you an answer to everything… I know I'm difficult…"

"You're not difficult, Heather… It's normal."

"Still… I know it takes a lot for you to wait like this. And it sucks because…"

Heather shifted Naya's dark locks to one shoulder, completely revealing the luscious caramel skin of her neck. She placed one small kiss on the juncture of her collarbone on her shoulder.

_Oh god…_ Naya thought, her hairs standing on edge with heightened sensation.

"I can't stop thinking about you," she whispered and gave Naya's shoulder another kiss.

"H-Heather…" Naya croaked, her throat was completely dry.

"Is that horrible?" another kiss. Heather's tantalizing, feather-light kisses approached her neck making Naya crane her head to give the blonde better access.

_Yes, _Naya thought, but she couldn't make herself say it out loud. The little demon inside her wanted those lips everywhere.

Evident arousal was coursing through Heather as the blood had risen to her cheeks, causing an apple red blush. Her kisses had changed far from friendly as she let her lips linger on Naya's shoulder much longer than she should. The taste of that caramel skin was just too delicious to resist. Naya's head was dangerously spinning as she couldn't stop what was happening; more like she didn't want to stop what was happening. Her body had completely taken over control, as a low moan escaped her throat. Heather placed a light nip on the tender part of her shoulder and she examined the small bite mark that was left. It probably wasn't smart, but Heather didn't care. Heather's fingers began to tease underneath the hem of Naya's sweater, finger pads savoring the feel of the creamy soft flesh. Her other hand began to wander daringly lower as she toyed experimentally with the button of Naya's shorts.

"Heather… wait… I-I don't think we should… oh…" Naya was stopped when Heather reached her pulse point and expertly sucked. A wave of pleasure coursed down Naya's body and she shuddered as Heather's hot tongue lavished her skin. _I guess I deserve this… I did give her the same torturous treatment when we were filming the other day._

Heather's kisses became feverish, determined to kiss every patch of available skin on that shoulder and she didn't even care if this was considered cheating… Cheating was actually the last thing on her mind. All she could focus on was the way that Naya kept moaning her name… over and over and over… The simplest sounds emanating from the tiny girl was sending shock waves through Heather's body. She really, _really_ wanted to send all those food platters off the kitchen table and lay Naya down for her next meal… _Wow, kinky much Heather? _The blonde simply smirked into the crook of Naya's neck at her incredibly horrible mind.

"This is what I want, Naya… I want _you_…" Heather breathed hot and heavy into the Latina's ear. Heather wasn't sure if she had said it impulsively from the heat between their bodies and the seducing taste of Naya's skin or if it was truly what she wanted.

Naya's eyes fluttered open at the words.

"Wh-What?" Naya managed out breathlessly. She wasn't sure if she had heard the words correctly. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her.

She turned her head just as Heather resurfaced from her neck. The change in position put their lips mere millimeters apart. There was a slight fleeting panic in Heather's eyes as she realized what she had just admitted to Naya. She wasn't sure if she meant it. It scared her that she had all the power to destroy this wonderful person in her arms if she was misleading her. But the almost nonexistent space made Naya's lips practically undeniable to kiss and Heather was compelled to lean forward to close the gap. Mouths were captured instantly, eyes fluttering closed in shared content. Their lips melded together in that all too familiar way, yet this time all hesitancy was gone and a new sense of heated need replaced it. Heather couldn't get over how Naya's lips _always_ felt like sweet, warm clouds. They never failed to disappoint her. Whenever her lips moved against hers Heather could _feel_ how Naya felt… how much Naya loved her. That's how she knew…

_Yes… I want you…_

She grabbed at the back of her neck, deepening the feel of that softness.

Naya moaned. Loudly. So loud she was afraid Ashley may hear, but the thought didn't stop her. Heather will always have that way of making her head go blank. She felt Heather's tongue easily slip between her parted lips as it sweetly caressed her own. Naya began to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen and luckily Heather broke the kiss. It left Naya gasping for air as the taller blonde began to leave feather light kisses down the column of her neck. The sudden air spilling into her lungs helped Naya think a little more clearly.

_It shouldn't be like this…_

"W-Wait… Heather. Stop," Naya spoke out with a hint of firmness in her voice. She grasped Heather's shoulders, gently pushing their bodies apart. She desperately wanted Heather to continue. She's wanted this so long, but she didn't want it to be like this. Not while Heather's heart was still half taken by someone else…

The sudden lack of contact had Heather in a daze, her eyes half-lidded and filled with darkened lust. She swallowed and tried to catch her breath, trying to rid of the pleasure building in her tummy and between her legs.

"Wha… What? What's wrong?" Heather said breathlessly.

"We can't do this…" Naya mumbled slipping away from Heather and fleeing to the other side of the kitchen and out of touching distance so not to tempt herself. "Not like this."

Heather had to grip the counter ledge from falling over. Her head was all fuzzy. She was pretty confident no one has ever made her feel that way after a make-out session. Not even Nate.

"But… Naya, I…" Heather tried and Naya waited her to finish, but she never did. She was lost on how to describe how she felt.

Naya sighed and folded her arms across her chest protectively.

Eyes downcast she mumbled, "You have Nate…"

Heather's heart dropped with guilt at the reminder. _Oh god Nate…_ She hated all this. She hated herself. She hated how she didn't feel bad about anything she just did three seconds ago. She hated herself even more because she really wanted to run across the room and capture Naya's lips again…

"I'm not going to let you cheat…" Naya whispered almost inaudibly.

_Fuck… why do I have to be the goodie good here? _Naya cursed, watching Heather's face fall.

All Heather could do was give a small nod, her head was spinning in a flurry. _Just say you don't care! Tell her you'll break up with him once he gets back. Explain how you've wanted to for so long now. Tell her how you _have_ been thinking and that you've known you're answer since forever but have been too afraid to admit it. Say how much you want her and only her. How much you…_ Heather couldn't finish the thought as Naya turned to leave the kitchen to give the two of them time to recollect before the rest of the cast came over.

"Nay," she beckoned quickly. Naya stopped, looking hopefully back at Heather. "I…"

Heather choked. _Say… something!_

"I don't want to cheat," Heather said bluntly.

_ Well not that idiot…_

Naya's shoulders slumped. Defeated. _I guess that's that. You've got your answer Rivera. Are you happy now?_ Naya held herself together as she looked to Heather with all the love she could muster in her eyes.

"I know, Heather. That's why I won't let you. You won't have to worry about it anymore," Naya tried not to choke, but failed miserably. She walked briskly out of the kitchen making a sharp left to the bathroom. She wouldn't let Heather see her breakdown. It wouldn't be fair to Heather and it would just be pathetic for Naya. She should have known better. _But what can you do when you're always chasing after false hope?_

Heather stood in her lonely kitchen hopelessly. Nothing but most delicious food surrounded her, but she found she was only hungry for the one thing she let go.

_I can't lose her… Now that I know I can't let her go like that._

Heather thought, determination building. Naya's habit of always assuming things to quickly has to be set straight. Heather needed to make her understand. No more uncertainty, no more reading between the lines, no more lies…

_I won't lose her._


	15. Chapter 15

I wanted to remind my betas fossil_10 and sarake_leeg how wonderful they are. Seriously, I wouldn't be able to function without them.

This chapter will have some Achele moments, but this fic will remain and always will remain strictly Heya! Please trust where I'm going with this. That's all. Hope you enjoy.

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 15<p>

_September 28__th__, 2010: 8:08 PM_

"Damn! Look at dat ass!"

"Nuh uh… I'm looking at something else… Ouch!" Cory yelped as a pretzel was chucked at his eye.

"Will you two stop objectifying women!" Amber lectured at Kevin and Cory who gave each other cheesy bro head nods. Amber rolled her eyes.

"I don't blame you, Cory… I think I'm looking where you're looking too…" Jenna said with zero filter or from drinking one too many shots. Kevin snickered out loudly in laughter, leaning back against Jenna's shins and giving her ankle a secret squeeze. "Like, seriously… is that the bra or is that natural, Heather?"

_Definitely natural…_ Naya thought her eyes glued to the flat screen mounted on the wall. Her normal bodily reactions were responding accordingly as she watched Heather in that ridiculously small green bra strut across the screen. Banana slithering and hugging her body… _Fucking lucky ass snake…_ Naya's chest was rising and falling in shallow breaths, palms uncontrollably sweaty, and the area between her legs aching horribly. She practically fell off the couch when the camera panned over the lean dancer's abs. She was getting very light headed. Every two seconds the same thought would run through her head, _you can definitely dance up on me…_ She sighed deeply, pursing her lips; her arousal hungry for something she couldn't have.

"Uh… Pretty sure the bra is doing a lot of the lifting, Jenna," Heather chuckled, her cheeks blushing in modesty.

"Oh shut up, Heather. I know for a fact what Heather's bra size is and the TV isn't faking anything. All real baby," Ashley called out drunkenly. Heather kicked her shoulder and threw a pillow at her face. Ashley just burst into a fit of giggles.

"Come on, Hemo. Take it all as a compliment. You're freakin' killin' it right now," Kevin noted.

"Yeah, Nate is a lucky bastard," Cory added with his quirky smile as he sat in the lounge chair over on the side. His cheeks were glowing red from the four beers he had already downed. Heather gave a weak smile back, biting her lower lip.

"He certainly is…" Naya mumbled quietly to herself.

"What did you say?" Jenna asked turning to Naya.

"Nothing," she immediately answered, turning back to the screen to be met by yet another torturing image of Heather rolling around in her sequenced nude bodysuit. _The universe really knows how to kill a girl…_ she sighed and slumped into her little corner of the couch.

Heather had been trying to keep an eye on Naya the whole night, trying to get some sort of sign or hint of how she was feeling. She was getting nothing. She could normally read right through Naya's mask, but it was pretty hard deciphering her emotions when Jenna was sitting right in the fucking middle of the couch… Heather had gone out of her way to try and sit next to Naya to watch the episode. She practically cornered Naya until they were sitting together, but then Jenna just had to come and squeeze between them. She loved Jenna and all, but Heather hadn't ever loathed someone so much for a long time.

She was still on her mission to get her girl back, however difficult Naya was making it for her to do so. She also wanted to share this with her. It was a big moment for both of them and she wanted to be able to hold her hand during the duration of it, despite what had happened earlier. Heather pouted, crossing her arms across her chest in discouragement. The distance was killing her and she was itching to get the Latina alone.

Upon hearing Naya's little slip up, Lea who was sitting on some pillows in front of Naya reached back and gave her friend's thigh a comforting squeeze. Naya simply exhaled sadly.

_"Listen, Naya… I'm really sorry for what happened earlier today. I didn't want you to get caught up in the middle of what Dianna and I are going through. I was jealous and stupid and didn't know what to do. I feel horrible and absolutely humiliated… Please don't hate me?" Lea whispered to Naya in the corner of Heather's living room._

_ "I don't hate you. However, I really don't think I am the one you should be apologizing to…" Naya tried._

_ "I'm not speaking to her tonight. If she has something to say, she can approach me."_

_ Naya sighed._

"_Way to win over your girl Lea… Whatever, I don't want to get into it. But this will never be spoken about again. Especially to Heather," Naya said, looking over the shorter girl's shoulder over to that gorgeous blonde chatting away with Harry. Her eyes rolled to the floor sadly._

_ "Of course. We are making a contract right here and now to never speak of this again. Specifically no one is to know I kissed you because of Dianna," Naya nodded in agreement. "Did you honestly think I would tell anyone about this? Again it was embarrassing…"_

"_Gee thanks. Can I comment that you need a little practice kissing girls? You obviously had no idea what you were doing," Naya shivered thinking of all that slobber again._

"_Hey! It was unexpected okay! That's not how it goes down normally…" Lea replied defensively_

"_Yeah right…" Naya mumbled back with a playful smile, sipping her drink. Lea smacked her shoulder and the two chuckled._

"_We okay though? I also didn't mean what I said about you and Heather. I hope I didn't ruin anything… You two have so much more than Dianna and I ever had or will have. I was just… jealous. Like I always am. Oh god, I'm more like Rachel than I thought…" Lea spoke pathetically._

"_Stop it. You're not… except the fact that you both are extremely talented and love to flaunt it… and you both blow everything out of proportion, and you are both love to be drama queens…"_

"_Okay, okay… I get the picture," Lea said, waving away Naya's words. Naya smiled._

"_But you didn't ruin anything. Nothing I didn't ruin on my own…" Naya said, continuing to watch Heather from afar, laughing without a care in the world._

"_I thought everything was going well?" Lea looked to her with a quizzical saddened brow, squeezing Naya's arm gently. _

Naya explained the G-rated version of what happened in the kitchen. Lea did surprisingly well with the comforting given the emotional state she was in already. So the two girls sat close together the whole night, filling each other's loneliness. Heather, who had been watching Naya closely, clenched her jaw and worried her eyebrows at Lea's gestures and Naya's reactions. Dianna, who ended up not bringing her British hubby after all, sat in the love seat next to Harry mirroring Heather's very expression.

Kevin was making another comment about how they probably edited out John Stamos's boner tent, which caused Cory, Chord, and Ashley to cackle out loudly.

"Will you all just shut up? Some of us are trying to actually watch the episode and appreciate Heather's talent," Chris called out from his large bean bag as he swirled his iced tea in annoyance.

"We _are_ appreciating Heather's talents," Kevin said immaturely. Naya reached over and smacked him over the back of his head. Heather couldn't help, but feel a little smug when Naya defended her.

"No more peach Schnapps for you!"

"Are you trying to make fun of the fact that I like your girly drinks again?" he was starting to slur his words together. Naya simply rolled her eyes and tried to remain focused on the scene on the screen, which wasn't too hard to do.

"Great… now it's over. Thanks Kevin for your impeccably loud drunken mouth," Chris said grumpily. Naya looked back up at the TV and it was back to Heather in the dentist's chair. She too slumped back in disappointment. She'll just have to YouTube it... over and over and over…

_"Are you are cat?"_

Everyone cracked up, even Naya did.

"Priceless Heather… Priceless," Chord said, clapping his hands together in applause.

"Amazing girl! Seriously!" Amber praised. Everyone else agreed, sending words of admiration towards a shy, blushing Heather.

"You were stunning, Heather… simply flawless," Naya said honestly, looking across Jenna over to Heather. The blonde smiled brightly, her blush deepening to a crimson red. Heather opened her mouth to reply to Naya now that she had her attention, but Lea yelled out.

"Everyone shut up! It's my scene!" the rest of the room scowled at her and threw snacks in her direction. "I'm just kidding…" she giggled, but Naya knew she probably wasn't. Dianna was smiling quietly.

When the scene blacked to commercial everyone broke out into discussion, mainly bounding over to Heather to congratulate her. Naya didn't move from her spot, she simply sullenly watched as Heather laughed at everyone's compliments. Lea noticed Naya's depressed state and slapped her knee.

"I think we should all get drunk," she announced, capturing everyone's attention. She grabbed Naya's hand and lifted her up off the couch.

Lea leaned in and whispered into Naya's ear, "Come on, Nay-Nay… You really need some cheering up."

Naya looked to her unenthused, "Lea, I don't know… I'm not really in the mood…"

"No, you need this. We _both _need this."

Without further discussion, Naya was pulled over to the kitchen, Heather's eyes following them. They clambered into the kitchen, Naya sitting slumped on one of the chairs by the counter. When Naya saw Lea begin to pull out every alcoholic beverage visible in Heather's refrigerator her stomach started to churn with dread.

"Um, Lea?" Naya tried to get the smaller girl's attention as she buried herself inside the fridge.

"Where the hell is the tequila? I swear if she doesn't have any we're going to have to make a quickie to Seven Eleven…"

"Lea, stop. We really shouldn't. Even though I'm upset and all pathetically heartbroken, it doesn't mean I want to go and ruin this day for her. This is important… I would just feel shittier if I were wasted…" Naya said miserable.

"No, Naya… learn from the expert. The fast cure to a heartbreak is your best friends: patron and tequila. You can't go wrong," Lea said simply, unscrewing the cap of the large glass handle of patron. Naya cringed.

"Who's heartbroken now?"

Naya turned as Chris entered the kitchen, innocently sipping his raspberry iced tea. He looked to Naya and it was as if he instantly knew. _God do I look that pathetic?_

"Oh, honey…" he said walking over to her and worriedly pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. "You've got it bad…"

She swatted his hand away, "I'm not sick, Chris…"

"Dear, I think you are. I'm sorry, but this is the worst case I've seen. You're a wreck."

"Why, thanks…" she bit back sarcastically, leaning her head down on the cool counter.

"Who's the idiotic boy? Or girl?" Chris said, combing his fingers through Naya's hair and clinking the ice in his glass. Lea was still busy looking for shot glasses. Naya knew she was looking in the wrong cabinet… they were in the small cubby on the upper left by the stove, but she didn't say anything.

Heather walked in quietly to find Chris and Lea comforting Naya. She began to approach Naya, her intention to engulf the girl in her arms and hold her tight.

"It's nobody… Doesn't matter anymore…" Naya grumbled miserably.

Heather's heart plummeted to the floor. _No, stop it. You can do this. You just have to get her alone_. She inhaled deeply and stood up taller, trying to muster her courage. Just as she was about to speak the doorbell rang. The other three turned at the sound and Naya caught her eye. The Latina bolted upright, sending a surprised Chris a few steps back. Naya was squeezing at her fingertips nervously, unable to break Heather's intense eyes. Chris looked between the two them and it clicked, a nod and a knowing smirk gracing his face. Took him all of .4 seconds to see that one. He looked to Lea and she nodded in confirmation. It would be pointless denying it from Chris.

Unable to bear the awkward silence, Naya got up from her chair and said, "I'll… um… I'll just get the door."

She walked briskly out of the kitchen avoiding eye contact with the blonde. Lea and Chris simply looked to Heather expectantly.

"What?"

Lea busied herself back with the glasses on the counter and Chris stirred his tea in silence.

Naya unlatched the safety lock and pulled the door open. Her heart stopped.

"...Hi."

"What are you doing here?" Naya said, with an unexpected sharpness in her voice.

"Well, hello to you too," he chuckled.

"This isn't funny. Why are you here, Mark?" Naya replied coldly.

"Since when am I not part of the cast?"

"You hate these sort of things… You barely come to any."

"You're right I do hate these things. I would only go because of you," his green eyes swam with sincerity and for a moment Naya almost felt sorry for him. Then she remembered how things left off between them and dread swelled her chest. _Oh please god, not another repeat of that night…_

Naya was simply silent, suddenly mute and unable to reply with any sort of response.

"Listen, Naya… I'm not here to fight or fucking profess my love for you again. I just want to talk," Mark said truthfully and Naya crossed her arms over her chest, searching his eyes for any falsity.

"Hey, Nay, who's at the…" Heather stopped in midsentence as her eyes fell upon Mark and Naya in the doorway. The three stood in an awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Heather looked to Naya dejectedly. _Why? Why would she invite Mark? Cause I know I certainly didn't…_

"Naya… what's going on?" Heather spoke slowly, hurt in her voice.

Naya looked to Heather confused. _You would know more than I would, this is _your _party_.

"I—"

"It's on! It's on! It's on!" Jenna yelled out loudly.

"Ladies! Where you be at? You're about to blow up the screen! Get all you asses ova here!" Kevin bellowed drunkenly.

"Come on now… Don't wanna miss that now do we?" Mark said, letting himself in and passing by the two girls who were both glued to the floor.

_Well, fuck… this night just keeps getting better and better_, both girls thought in horror.

_September 28__th__, 2010: 8:23 PM_

Everyone was dead silent, eyes still plastered on the screen in awe. Naya and Heather looked around at their friends' faces. They all looked in a daze.

"I think we killed them," Heather said as she poked Jenna who was still processing the Me Against the Music number.

"Were we bad or something?" Naya asked, seriously worried over her friends' health.

"Is this real life?" Lea quietly whispered below her, mojito limply held in her hand.

"Again, Lea… not your scene," Amber lectured and Lea simply rolled her eyes.

"Naya I think you gave that one kid a better show than a stripper. You were grindin' up all over him!" Kevin finally let out. The room burst into laughter and they all hollered for the two girls, both smiling shyly. Jenna reached back and wrapped her arms around Heather and Naya, pulling them into a big bear hug.

"That would be the only thing you noticed," Naya replied, muffled by Jenna's shoulder. Kevin simply chuckled as Chord high-fived him.

"You guys were amazing!" Jenna yelled loudly into their ears. Their eyes locked and the two couldn't help but be caught up in the moment. Their faces were all smiles.

"That was hot…" Cory could barely muster, cheeks even a brighter red than before. "Naya plus Heather and dancing… equals hot…"

"We get it, Cory. We saw it for that millisecond you were in the frame in that back corner like a creeper," Chris said. "You ladies were amazing though. I applaud you."

He clapped his hands respectfully and everyone else followed suit, Kevin and Harry whistling loudly. Jenna finally released the two girls after Naya started to complain about the lack of oxygen. Heather laughed lovingly as Ashley tried to tickle her feet, praising those "twinkling toes".

"Replay! Replay!" Amber and Jenna started to shout.

"We still have the rest of the episode guys," Heather shouted over everyone, the scene was now of the cast in the choir room, Brittany explaining how she was the most talented of the glee club. No one was listening, so she simply paused the DVR while everyone conversed animatedly. Jenna somehow had collapsed off the couch and was tackling Kevin, leaving Heather and Naya alone sitting alone on the now seemingly large piece of furniture.

Heather turned to look to Naya who was nodding at something Dianna was quietly telling her. She fidgeted anxiously. It was hard enough to contain herself while watching _their_ scene; the excitement in her was bubbling over. Something happened to Heather while watching the number that made her worry over her health. She was quite certain that something in her had broken. She recalled how she felt while filming all those scenes with Naya, but watching them on playback… it was something else. She swallowed nervously, inappropriate thoughts invading her mind. _Extremely inappropriate…_ Her whole body was shaking with an unidentifiable, yet all too familiar need. It was almost animalistic, and that's what worried Heather. Naya in a cream suit, plus a cane, and leaves turned Heather's brain mush. Before she was able to do anything about the growling in her lower abdomen, Mark stole her attention.

"Hemo, I'm pretty sure you were better than the real thing. Way better dancer than Britney and fucking way hotter…" Mark finally said approvingly, taking a slow sip from his beer bottle.

"Thanks," she mumbled back, but then turned to Naya. "It wasn't me though, it was all Naya."

Naya could easily spot that look in Heather's darkened blue eyes. Her gaze was intense and heavy on her skin. Naya blushed deeply under the seductive glare, gulping nervously.

"She wasn't even trying," Heather continued.

The room suddenly felt a hundred degrees hotter.

"I'm going to get a drink. Anyone need anything?" Naya coughed as she got up. She needed to be removed from the room before she did anything stupid… and in front of everyone.

"I'll join you," Mark said quietly as he too got up. Naya didn't have time to complain as she needed to get away from Heather's dangerous stare.

Heather watched Naya's figure longingly, thoroughly pissed off at Mark. She rubbed at her temples in confusion. Now she knew how guys felt like when they were trying to get with her… it felt near impossible. Heather felt the cushion next to her dip in. She turned to see her blonde, hazel eyed costar looking just as solemn as her.

Dianna patted her knee gently, "You okay? You seem so down when you should be celebrating. You're doing amazing."

Heather smiled unenthusiastically, "Yeah, thanks… I'm just a little frustrated I guess."

"Makes two of us," Dianna replied distantly as she watched Lea converse loudly with Chord on how Naya completely overpowered Madonna's part, raving about the Latina's shadowed talent.

"Have you noticed Lea and Naya acting any differently around each other lately?" Dianna asked aloud, eyes still glued to the small brunette. Heather followed Dianna's line of view. She chewed her lip, rummaging through her mind for any peculiar instances.

"I… I don't know. I haven't really noticed," Heather admitted, but now that Dianna had brought it up she could recall Naya and Lea being a little more than friendly the past few weeks. _Especially tonight…_

Dianna shook her head and turned back to Heather, "Yeah, me either, but I guess they've been spending a lot more time together than I realized."

"I-I didn't think they were _that_ close…" Heather whispered, worried at what Dianna was hinting at.

"Apparently they're best friends now… probably even more than that," Dianna ranted jealously slumping back into the couch arms crossed over her chest. Heather's eyebrows furrowed in confusion just as Dianna realized her slip up.

"Dianna… What are you talking about?"

"I… oh shit… I wasn't… I wasn't supposed to talk about this…" she said pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Tell me what's going on." _Or I might die… _Heather thought. "Dianna?"

Dianna sighed.

"Today, before we left set… Lea and I got into an argument and Naya was there playing Switzerland. Lea had stormed out and Naya went out to "console" her…" Dianna paused, her face dropping at the memory. Heather searched Dianna's eyes, not liking at all the tone of her voice or where this story was going.

"And I wanted to tell Lea that I… I just wanted to tell her sorry, but when I walked out of the lot I found them kissing…" Dianna said slowly, completely miserable with the fact.

Heather didn't know what to think. Her heart was plummeting dangerously fast to the floor. Her mind went completely blank before being flooded with a million voices. Maybe she had been wrong this whole time. What if she had been reading into things, believing that Naya was interested when she wasn't at all? When she was really seeing someone else? Naya could have been trying to let her down gently because she didn't want to hurt her. It would explain why she kept pushing Heather away and why she always wanted to slow down and give Heather time to _really_ think this through. Just because Naya was interested in girls, it didn't mean she was interested in Heather. _It's so immaturely high school to think every lesbian or bicurious girl would have a crush on you._

Heather began to replay what had happened earlier this evening in the kitchen… When she thought back, Naya never once encouraged her to continue. In fact she kept asking her to stop… _Fuck you're so stupid! This whole time she's been trying to get you to back off and you being your horny handsy self didn't get the picture…_ She shuddered with dread. If Naya wanted to be with her, she would have gone after her a long time ago. Naya had always been the type of person that when she saw something she liked she would shamelessly go after it.

But it didn't seem right… Naya had never shown an inkling of interest in Lea. She would have seen it. _Dianna has a point… they've been spending a lot of time together. Not to mention both of them are impeccable actresses so they could have been together for ages and I would have never known_. Heather was a pool of emotions; she didn't know what to do with herself. She needed confirmation.

"A-Are you absolutely sure that's what you saw?" Heather asked, voice cracking.

"Yes?" it came out more like a question. "Besides… Naya admitted they were together…"

"She… she did?"

Dianna nodded sadly. "I just figured Naya would have told you something…"

"So did I…" Heather mumbled, her heart shattered.

_September 28__th__ 2010: 8:27 PM_

Once in the kitchen, Naya poured a tall shot glass of tequila and downed it in one gulp. She winced as the hard alcohol hit her stomach, making her feel queasy. Or maybe it was because Mark was in the room…

"You were really great, Naya…" he started.

"Thanks," she grumbled in reply, pouring another glass full.

"Hey…" Mark said, grabbing her wrist and stopping her from raising the glass to her lips. Naya sighed and placed the glass back down.

"What do you want Mark?" her headache was building

"I told you… I just wanted to talk," he began, but then corrected himself. "No… I wanted to apologize."

Naya looked up to him expectantly, arms folded across her chest.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking. While I was recording my album, things were getting messy. I'm a fucking douchebag, I get it. I messed up. I came to terms with that when I realized more than half of the songs on the record were about you… It was supposed to be my cowardly way of apologizing and trying to win you back," he admitted depressingly.

"But, while we were running through one of the numbers last night I realized that if I'm going to apologize, you deserve to hear it out front. Not through some lame ass lyrics… What I'm trying to get around saying is that I'm sorry…" Mark said, green eyes sincere and dejected.

"I'm sorry for cheating on you, for hurting you, and most importantly for breaking your heart. No one deserves that."

She never thought she would, but Naya actually believed him. She had been weary at first; she always had to be around Mark. His emotions were as unpredictable as the million dollar lottery. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was because she had just been rejected by Heather… But she accepted his carefully plotted out words. She took his proffered hand and squeezed it.

"But, Naya…" he continued with confidence. "I don't take back what I said that night. I do love you. I care about you and I still want to be with you."

_And there it is…_ Naya sucked in a tiring breath, but before she should speak Mark butted in a final comment.

"Look I know that it wouldn't be easy at first, but being together in the end will be. You're worth it to me. I can make you happy… I'll work my ass off to make you happy. I understand if you don't want to get back together… I just… I just wanted to get my feelings out there."

Naya suddenly felt guilty. She knew from the start of their relationship that she would never be able to love him back if he ever started to feel that way towards her. It was just supposed to be short… fun… The sole purpose of them being together was so she could forget about Heather, which ended up failing anyways. Now, here's this amazing guy professing his love for her and all she could say was no. She was a selfish bitch and she let it go too far.

"Mark…" she sighed, lip quivering. What should she say? His green eyes sparkled with hope; hope that she would soon crush. "I… I should be the one that's sorry."

He furrowed his eyebrows.

"I don't feel for you like that… I don't think I ever had. I'm so sorry to ever let you believe that I did because really I'm…" she paused hesitantly. Letting go of the air in her lungs she spoke in a whisper, "I'm in love with someone else."

It was pretty much a slap in the face. Mark looked like he just got punched in the gut by a sumo wrestler. Naya felt horrible and pleaded in hope to save their friendship.

"It was never your fault Mark… except for the cheating thing, but there was nothing you could have done to change the way I felt. You have no idea how _badly_ I wanted to fall for you… to convince myself that I could. But, I just couldn't let go. My heart was stolen and I never got it back…" Naya was on the brink of tears as she watched Mark slowly react to all of this.

"So that's it? I don't get a say in anything," he finally managed, rubbing the back of his neck while the other still desperately clung on to Naya's.

"I'm afraid so…" Naya quietly replied.

"Who is he?" Mark asked, jealousy biting in the back of his throat. "Do I know him?"

"Uh well…" Naya tried to search her brain for some sort of lie, but that fucking tequila shot was making everything function ten times slower.

"Is it someone on set?" Mark continued to interrogate.

"Y-Yes…" she replied nervously. "But Mark—"

"What the fuck, Naya? For how long? Please don't tell me it's that creepy runner who gets a boner every time he sees you…"

"No, no! Mark, stop. Just listen, please? I let you explain. Can't you just give me a chance to help you understand?" Naya's eyes were already misty talking about all of this. Mark breathed in deeply, calming himself down. He nodded curtly. She dragged a long breath in.

"It happened about a year and a half ago when we first started filming. I didn't think anything of it at first because we were all such good friends and everyone was just getting to know each other. But it wouldn't go away, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. It's stupid though. It's all a hopeless cause… they're off the market. But I can't help myself. The way I feel towards this person hasn't changed. I don't think there was anything you could have done Mark, and I'm so sorry to have put you through this. I know I'm a bitch. I know it's fucking cliché and I hate clichés, but it really is me… I'm just not attracted to you like that…" Naya said slowly.

Then bravely, she added, "Or any guy for that matter."

Realization struck Mark's facial expressions. His mouth hung open slightly in surprise. Naya wasn't really sure what she was expecting from telling him all of this. She was just hoping she could salvage the little of the friendship they had left.

When Mark couldn't say anything, Naya continued, "I get that you probably hate me… but you deserve someone that is going to love you back completely and won't afraid of saying so. When we're on set, we'll just have to be professional and—"

"I don't hate you Naya…" Mark told her firmly. "I mean I'm not gonna lie… This fucking hurts like a bitch and I never thought I would ever be someone's gay beard… Still, I don't want you to pretend to be with me if it's not what you want. You shouldn't have to settle, you know that?"

"Unfortunately, I may have to…" she admittedly sadly.

"Hey…" Mark cupped her cheeks softly in his hands and looked deeply into Naya's tear filled eyes. "You are the most… amazing girl I've ever met. I'm lucky to have had you when I did. I've never been this hung up on someone as bad as I am… was… hung up on you. You're a hard one to come by, Naya. If Heather can't see what I see, then she's more like her character than I thought…"

Naya furrowed her eyebrows at Mark; her voice hitched an octave higher "Who said anything about, Heather?"

He snorted, dropping his hands away from her face, "You've got to be kidding? I know that 90 percent of the time I think with my dick and not with my brain, but I'm not an idiot, Naya. I mean I always thought you were secretly fucking each other… You two are way too close to be 'just' friends."

Naya rolled her eyes, "In your dreams…"

"Probably in yours too," he retorted and Naya managed a small chuckle. "But hey, at least I know I'm being rejected for a hot chick and not an ugly ass dude. You've got pretty good taste… for a lesbian."

"Oh god… I should have never told you. Now I'm never going to hear the end of all your lesbian jokes…" Naya said with a smile, taking her tequila shot and draining it down the sink.

"Come on, who do think I would be if I didn't? But honestly, Naya," Mark said reclaiming her hand. "If you love this girl as much as you say you do, go out and get her. Be the Naya Rivera I know best."

"It's not that easy…"

"Yeah, it is. You just choose to make it complicated. You deserve happiness, Naya. I don't know why you're so convinced you don't…"

It was one of the first times that Naya had ever heard something so sincere leave Marks lips; more sincere than a million of his 'I love you's' combined. She could feel herself breaking down, her hand grasping onto Mark's for support. He squeezed back comfortingly. _How could he be so accepting after all this shit I put him through? It doesn't make sense?_ She looked up at him, eyes watery.

As if he read her mind he answered, "I still care about you Naya. We all care about you and we just want what makes you happy."

She smiled feebly. Mark sensing she was about to crumble engulfed her in his arms. She fell into his embrace weakly, a few stinging tears leaking onto his jacket. She was thankful he finally came around and that she could save their friendship. She felt closer to him now than she ever had during the months of their relationship. A small smile slid onto Naya's lips. _At least I did one thing right…_

"Naya?" the familiar blonde's voice rung out.

Naya pushed Mark away, wiping the corners of her eyes as she heard Heather's voice. It was strangely weak and hesitant. She looked at her curiously through her puffy eyes.

"What… What's going on here?" Heather asked slowly, taking another step into the kitchen. After her conversation with Dianna her mind had been reeling. She had so many questions for the Latina and now a hundred more piled on top of that as she observed Mark holding Naya's hand so gently. Heather needed to clear things up so they could move on with their lives… separately or together.

"Nothing," Naya said simply. She smiled up at Mark, thankful of his patience. "We were just coming back over."

She began to walk past Heather back towards the living room when she felt the dancer's nimble fingers encircle her wrist.

"Naya… I need to talk to you…" she whispered pleadingly. She didn't want to chase her around anymore. Her emotions were in a jumbled mass on her sleeve. She needed Naya to untangle them.

"Not now… W-We shouldn't keep everyone waiting," Naya replied shakily, slipping away from Heather. Everyone else was probably waiting in the living room to start the episode back up. They were already fifteen minutes behind the airing time.

"But, Nay…" she was already out the door. Heather sighed, feeling more defeated with every minute that ticked by. She was running low on time… and determination. She felt eyes staring at her and she looked up to meet Mark's heavy gaze. He clenched his jaw, jealousy rippling through his body. But he exhaled slowly and nodded his head in admittance.

"You're real lucky, you know that?" he told Heather sadly.

"Um…" her brow line creased in confusion. "Thanks… I guess…"

"Don't hurt her."

"D-Did she tell you something?" Heather asked tensely.

"What her and I talk about doesn't concern you," he said with a harshness he didn't intend, but the jealously in him was boiling. Heather flinched, as she pursed her lips angrily. "Just… Just don't hurt her."

"I don't want to, Mark. And unlike you I don't intend to," she shot back. Mark glared at her dangerously and Heather simply glared back. With that Mark grabbed the two beer bottles left on the counter and stalked out of the kitchen.

"If anything… she's hurting me…" Heather whispered sadly to herself. But she won't give up; she could never give up on Naya.


	16. Chapter 16

Rating: NC-17 (rating change for this chapter)

Get ready for some sexy times... 

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 17<p>

There are some days where Heather really hated being so close to the Glee cast. This was one of those days… She was trying not to be a rude hostess, but all she could think about was Naya. Entertaining everyone was on the bottom of her list. It wasn't helping that everyone was in the process of getting drunk or were already passed out. Kevin and Jenna were trying to figure out their right hands from their left, Amber and Chris were both on sugar highs, Chord and Cory's cheeks were beet red, Ashley was a complete goner on the couch, and most annoyingly Lea was hanging all over Naya.

"Lea!" Naya hissed. "You're fucking crushing my toes!"

"Oh! Those are toes? I thought they were little marshmallows!" Lea laughed drunkenly loud in Naya's ear, "You have super soft feet Nay-Nay…"

"Stop talking about my feet, you're weirding me out…" Naya said trying to help the girl to a chair so she wouldn't fall over.

"And marshmallows are really delicious… Marshmallows remind me of Dianna… Like when we used to bake each other cupcakes. I don't know how she did it, but she made the best marshmallow frosting…" Lea started to wander. "She makes really amazing cupcakes…"

Naya frowned sadly at her friend, knowing the girl's subconscious longing for the blonde was speaking out.

"Okay, I think it's time for you to go home," she said collecting Lea's things. She looked around the room at everyone else who were either in a similar state as Lea or worse off. "I actually think it's time for everyone to go home."

"Whatchu talkin' bout Nay-Nay! We jus getting' started in here! It's only 10:30!" Kevin yelled obnoxiously loud, using a piece of licorice to sip some of his mixed concoction.

Naya pointed at Kevin and glared, "_You_ especially need to go home."

Kevin put up his hands in defense.

"Veiled Fairy is being a party-pooper…" Jenna whined. "You used to be the life of the party!"

"Yeah… well some things change…" she said bitterly helping Lea with her shoes. _Jesus, she's like a child…_ "Will you stop fidgeting? I'm trying to help you."

Lea kicked at Naya who scowled, "Stop… I want Di…"

Naya looked over to Dianna who had been watching them the whole time. She had her purse and keys in hand, ready to leave. Naya noticed how Dianna's face lit up as Lea requested her. Naya smiled towards the blonde.

"Dianna can you give me a hand with this one?"

"Sure…" she said a small smile growing on her lips. As Dianna helped Lea, the smaller brunette instantly fell into the crook of the blonde's neck, nuzzling affectionately.

"Can you take her home? I've got to do damage control here."

Dianna nodded all too enthusiastically.

"Thanks, Dianna. Oh and… I'm sure you know this, but Lea has a tendency in spilling the truth out when she's drunk. You've just got to ask the right questions," Naya hinted. Dianna gave a small knowing nod and walked Lea out of the house.

Naya breathed a sigh of relief, "That's one down…"

Naya looked over and saw Heather attempting to get Ashley up to her bed, but the girl wouldn't budge. Naya couldn't help, but smile at how adorable Heather was playing the big sister. She quickly wiped the smile off her face, _get your head on straight, Rivera._

"Hey," Mark tapped her shoulder. "What can I do to help?"

"Sober driver?" Naya asked hopefully.

"I was afraid you'd say that…"

"Only if you didn't drink too much," Naya lectured.

"Don't worry, anything I tried to drink Kevin over there stole from me. I'm good."

"Thanks, Mark," she squeezed his arm. Before he could go collect the wailing idiots she asked, "When you drop them all off, could you come back to pick me up?"

"I thought you were staying the night with, Hemo?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

"I told you. I kinda got rejected earlier…"

"That's hard for me to believe," Mark clenched his jaw, suddenly annoyed with the blonde dancer.

"Doesn't matter anymore," Naya brushed off, "Don't worry about it if you can't. I can catch a ride with Chris and Amber."

"Nah, what kind of lesbro would I be if I left you solo?" he bumped her shoulder and she smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks."

_September 28__th__: 11:02 PM_

It took a good half an hour for Naya and Heather to herd everyone into Mark's car and send them off for the night. They all called from the car how great the two of them were and to at least pop a bottle of champagne before they went to bed. Before he left, Mark mouthed to Naya 'I'll text you' and with a wink he was on his way.

Naya walked back into the house with Heather close behind. She closed the door shut behind her. Naya suddenly realized how alone they were. Ashley snoring on the couch didn't really count as being there. She gulped nervously and hoped it wouldn't take Mark long. She walked over to the kitchen to start cleaning up the massive mess that was left, but Heather stopped her, interlacing their fingers.

"Naya, can we please talk now?" she asked weakly.

"You should make sure Ashley is okay… I'll start cleaning up…" Naya replied, ignoring her question.

Heather sighed, frustration building, "Fine. I won't be long."

She marched over to the living room. Heather clicked on the lamp light on the side table and it beamed brightly in Ashley's eyes. Her drunken roommate cringed and turned to bury her face into the couch.

"Oh no you don't!" Heather yelled loudly, picking up the nearest pillow and throwing it at her head. "Up! Now!"

"What the fuck, Heather? I am never this mean to you when you're drunk… You pass out all the time on this couch! No fair!" she whined, proceeding to cover her eyes with her hand.

"I don't really care right now! I'm not in the mood for this. Stop being a fucking beached whale and get your ass up to bed," Heather said, pulling Ashley's ankles until the girl fell off the couch with a thud.

"What's stuck up your vagina? Obviously not Naya's fingers or you wouldn't be so pissy…" Ashley mumbled as she tried to get up off the floor. Heather was about to help her, but stopped and folded her arms across her chest.

"And you're not helping that situation… fuck…" Heather mumbled as the drunken girl snickered. "Listen Ash, you're not helping at all. She… she won't even look at me and I really need to talk to her."

"What did you do?" Ashley slurred accusatory.

"Why does everyone assume I did something wrong? I feel like everyone is pointing fingers at me tonight! I didn't do anything! If anything its Naya. She's apparently fucking Lea behind everyone's back…" Heather said angrily.

"What? When did all of this happen? I swear I wasn't out for that long…" Ashley said, looking around confused.

"It doesn't matter when it happened, all that matters is that it did. I need to figure things out. So can you please at least try to use your legs and go to bed?" Heather asked.

"Okay, okay… help me up," Heather pulled her up. "I don't know what she sees in that midget… especially after tonight, she should know who's the hottie with the body."

She poked Heather's sides, and the blonde managed to break a smile.

"That's mean."

"But deep, deep down you know you wanna agree with me," Ashley giggled.

"Go to bed," Heather lectured, rolling her eyes and leading Ashley up the stairs.

"You know… you should change your shirt. Wear your super baggy, uncomfortably slutty pajama shirt. Less material and more skin will definitely give you an advantage. It'll make her melt," Ashley said half-coherent as she closed the door to her room.

Heather shook her head at her friend, but turned to her room to change… Hey, a little skin wouldn't do anyone any harm? Right?

Naya was cleaning the shot glasses when her phone buzzed on the counter. She scrolled through the message:

**Mark Salling 11:09 PM** _Hey. This may take a little longer than we thought. Kevin fucking puked in my car. I'll txt u when I'm on my way back _

"Shit…" Naya cursed, tossing her phone back on the counter.

She leaned against the sink, but the position brought her back to earlier and she immediately pushed herself away. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Naya was physically and emotionally exhausted. Today was just too much. Maybe her life would have been easier if she never met Heather… If she didn't audition for Glee things would probably be much simpler, right? What if she never decided to get back into acting after high school?

_What the hell would you be doing then? Selling golf memberships back home and getting hit on by those creepy bosses? Some life…_ she thought miserably.

She sighed and looked to the digital clock on the microwave. It was 11:11 PM.

"Make a wish…" Naya scoffed, remembering how she would always make a wish at 11:11 during her high school years over pointless crushes and other teenage insecurities. It never made sense why that particular time was so special to wish on… until now.

"Hi…"

Naya turned around and was forced to lean against the sink as her knees suddenly turned to jelly. She had knocked over an empty beer bottle in the process. She never thought that stupid wishing thing actually worked… Naya didn't even trying to hide her blatant staring. It was practically impossible as Heather was leaning against the entryway of the kitchen, wearing only her bra and underwear with a massive shirt that basically put all of her cleavage on display. Naya's eyes raked over the creaminess of Heather's long lean leg, making her tongue dart out to moisten her dry lips. She was dying inside. Seriously, she was dead… if she were hooked up to a machine it would show that her heart stopped and her brain waves had bottomed out.

"H-Hi," she could barely manage. She gulped at the large knot in her throat, her palms becoming slick against the marble surface of the counter.

"I missed you… I've been dying to talk to you all night," Heather's words were meant to sound seductive, but she was just plain nervous. She slowly approached Naya. Her mind was tortured of the thought of Naya and Lea together. She desperately hoped what Dianna had said wasn't true and she dreaded what Mark and Naya's conversation was about.

"W-Well… We were both really swept up by the episode, which you did great in by the way…" _So fucking incredibly great… _Naya thought, her eyes unable to tear away from her chest.

"You were running away from me, Naya," Heather said bluntly.

"No… No I wasn't," she tried to defend hopelessly.

"Don't lie, Naya. I know you're hiding something," she accused, arms folded tightly across her chest.

"What? Heather, we said no more lies… I'm not keeping anything from you," she said confused.

"Oh really… Then why is it that every time I tried to get you alone you found some excuse to get away. You wouldn't talk to me… not once. You were with Lea all night long…"

Naya spat back miserably, "Because Heather… I _couldn't _be around you. How could you expect me to when you flat out rejected me?"

"When did I reject you?"

"Before everyone came."

"I said I didn't want to cheat, how is that rejecting you? I never said I wanted to be with Nate. Actually, I distinctly recall saying that I wanted _you_," Heather announced.

"What?" Naya asked slowly. Heather sighed.

"I want to stop all this chasing and running around. It's driving me crazy… I don't want to be with Nate anymore, Naya. I've wanted to break up with him long before I started to have feelings for… for you…" Heather told Naya in a nervous whisper, playing with the hem of her shirt. Naya's heart leapt to her throat. She wasn't quite sure if this was actually happening, but even if it was a dream or from the little bit of alcohol left in her system, she was going with it. She walked up to Heather and took her hands in hers, looking deeply into those blue eyes.

"You… you mean that?" Naya asked. This was all hard to believe.

"Yes, I meant what I said earlier. I want you," Heather said firmly, the ache in her voice evident as she stared longingly in chocolate brown eyes.

"But it scares the shit out of me okay? I haven't felt this way in a long time… I've actually never felt this way before, about anybody really. Not even Nate. The way I feel for you, Nay… I don't know how to describe it. I know you're my best friend and I just… I don't want this all to be made up in my head or something. I just need to know…" Heather faltered.

Naya brushed the stray strands that weaseled their way out of Heather's ponytail, "What, Heather? What do you need to know?"

The blonde swallowed slowly, eyes wide and nervous, "Are… Are you dating Lea?"

Naya had to refrain from snorting and bursting out in laughter. Heather was looking back at her so seriously. She bit her lip as it rolled into a smile.

"God, no! That's just gross… I'm sorry she's not my type. Please tell me that's not what you were worried about?" Naya asked, all smiles from these revelations. But they fell from her face quickly.

"Then… T-Then why would Dianna tell me she saw you two kissing?" Heather replied, eyes heavy with worry.

_Damn it, Dianna!_

Naya bit her lip before responding, "Heather I promise you we're not together. There's nothing going on between us."

"You're avoiding the question…" Heather said quietly. Her heart was beginning to pound hard against her ribcage.

Naya took a deep breath in, "W-We did kiss… But I didn't kiss her, she kissed me…" Naya tried to defend.

"That doesn't make it any better," Heather said dropping her hands out of Naya's. Naya's heart was sinking.

"No, Heather. Please look at me," Naya lifted her chin. "Look, I can't explain _why_ it happened… I wish I could, but I took this stupid, fucking oath that if I broke I would be dead…"

"What?" Heather asked confused.

"Never mind that… Heather, you have to know that it meant nothing… I promise."

Heather chewed on her lip in thought. It's not that she didn't believe Naya. It was just nerve wracking because her heart was on the line. Naya sensed her worry and reclaimed her hands pulling Heather in closer.

"It was actually kinda disgusting to be honest," Naya added. "It was like kissing my aunt or something weird like that…"

Heather smiled slightly, making Naya smile too in relief.

"So… to clarify. You're not dating her?"

"Nope."

"The kiss didn't mean anything?"

"Nope."

"And you don't feel for her that way at all?"

"No, Hemo. Definitely not."

"Okay…" Heather said, breathing out slowly and she squeezed Naya's hands affectionately.

"I've actually had my eye on someone else in particular for a really long while now," Naya hinted slyly, with a smile in her voice. Heather's eyes lit up. "And I've been waiting forever for them."

"Really? Who?" Heather quirked an eyebrow as she took a step closer to Naya, their bodies almost touching.

"I think you know who…" Naya whispered, staring at Heather's smiling lips.

That's all Heather needed to hear. She plunged towards Naya's awaiting lips, kissing her hungrily. Naya smiled against Heather's lips, opening her eyes to make sure this was all real. Heather was really kissing her with all the want and passion in the world. Heather wrapped her arms around Naya's neck, throwing her left hand into her dark locks. The movement caused Naya's ass to bump roughly back into the sink, the position all too familiar. She slithered her hands along Heather's waist, pulling her flush into her body. Lips meshed together wonderfully, and neither one could seem to get enough. Heather nipped at the soft plumpness of Naya's lips, savoring how undeniably delicious they were. Naya was certainly going to ruin all her childhood memories… She was better than any amusement park Heather had ever been to. Even though she wasn't really properly thinking, a small voice popped in the back of her head that made Heather pull back abruptly, but still remaining entangled in Naya's arms.

Naya tried to chase after Heather's lips at the sudden lack of contact, her brain buzzed from the high she always gets from kissing her. She panted against Heather's lips. Her eyelids were heavy and her cheeks rosy with lust.

"Wait, it's not Mark is it?" Heather asked, second-guessing herself. She didn't want to be wrong again…

Naya rolled her eyes.

"No. Now shut up and kiss me," she replied with a growl. Heather smiled brightly and quickly complied, resuming her lips on Naya's where they rightfully belonged.

Naya fisted at the material of Heather's shirt, raising it higher. She broke their kiss to pepper feather-light kisses down the column of the blonde's neck, who moaned helplessly. Heather's chest was heaving, her heart pounding wildly. She bit her bruised lower lip to stop herself from yelling out Naya's name too loudly. Naya slipped her hand under Heather's shirt skirting her fingertips over the incredibly soft flesh of the blonde's lower back. Her nails lightly scratched over the dancer's ribcage. The touches were making it harder for Heather not to rip that sweater off Naya. She wanted to feel her skin so terribly. Heather felt those puffy lips nibble teasingly at her pulse point; the blood pounding there warm against Naya's mouth.

"God… Naya…"

Naya reached back up and brought their lips together, Heather's tongue instantly swiping out lightly to taste the flavor of those supple lips. Both girls moaned, tongues flicking lightly and innocently together. Heather pushed herself harder against the shorter brunette, slipping a bare thigh between her legs. Naya whimpered, instinctively grinding her hips down to relieve the quelling tension of her arousal. Naya's light keening spurred Heather further, the dancer torturously grinding their hips together in a slow melodic rhythm. It brought Naya back to that night on the dance floor during their big premiere. Their bodies knew how to move against each other so perfectly. Except this time, things were getting a lot wetter…

Naya felt her knees beginning to grow weak.

"Heather… Couch…" Naya muffled out against Heather's lips.

Heather pulled away, giggling devilishly as she led a wobbling Naya out of the kitchen and into the living room. Heather quickly spun around and hurriedly pushed Naya down onto the couch. Taking a step back, a teasing smirk played on Heather's lips as she slowly raised her lopsided shirt over her head. She let the shirt slip out of her hands, leaving it lying unimportantly by her feet. Naya simply watched. Eyes plastered to the unrealistic figure before her with her mouth slightly agape. Heather's skin had Naya distracted. It wasn't a porcelain, peachy white… nothing delicate or childlike. No… Heather's skin was like butter. A milky, creamy texture with uniquely misshapen freckles flaking over that beautifully sculpted stomach. Naya memorized every dip, curve, and color; etching it in her mind. _My god… she's so beautiful._ _This couldn't possibly be real…_ she knew she had to wake up any second now.

_But if this is real life, the TV seriously does no justice to those abs…_ Naya thought as she gulped anxiously.

With a quirked eyebrow, Heather wistfully slipped the tie out of her hair, letting the gold strands fall on her shoulders in waves. Naya tried to search those piercing blue eyes for any form of uncertainty. But she found none. The blonde eagerly returned to Naya's lips, pushing her down to lay flat against the couch. Their bodies entangled in a wonderful mess of limbs; bare legs and toes affectionately sliding against each other. Heather adorably giggled into Naya's skin as she kissed her everywhere and Naya smiled like a lovesick fool.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this…" Naya breathed out against Heather's flushed skin.

"I know… me too…" Heather replied, taking Naya's supple lips again into a languid kiss.

"No, Heather…" Naya managed, from under her lips causing the blonde to stop and look down to her curiously. Her hair tickled against Naya's cheeks and neck, making her heart flutter. This was everything she's wanted for the past two years. It was all lying on top of her… in a position she used to only dream of.

"Heather I…" her heart hammered in her chest. "You're everything to me, you know that? You… You had me in a mess from the beginning. It started that day you saw me tripping down the risers of the tin shed to come and shake your hand. I'm pretty sure I tripped because of you. I thought it would just go away, but my slipping and stuttering just got worse over time. That's when I knew… I had it bad. And that day I told you I liked you? I meant it… with every bit of my heart."

Heather bit her lip as it inevitably curled up into a smile from the memory. A deep blush crept to her lips, her arousal temporarily forgotten as the most sincerely adorable person told her these words of affection. She would have never guessed Naya to be a romantic… She guessed wrong. Heather's heart swooned at sight of her best friend finally baring her heart out on her sleeve with pride.

Naya stroked the bangs from Heather's blue eyes, securely wrapping her arm around her bare waist.

"It's the little things you do that gets me; that makes my heart melt every time. I was terrified you were going to catch me in a puddle one of these days," Naya said, and Heather chuckled lightly. The Latina smiled brightly. "But… I'm not scared anymore, because you've made me realize you're everything to lose and I simply don't think I could ever deal with not having you in my life. I'm not hiding anymore, I'm not running anymore, and I'm not lying anymore…"

Heather's eyes looked deeply into Naya's. Those mocha brown orbs filled with love, but also uncertainty from plunging into the unknown. Her brow was graced with fear of rejection, but hopeful promise that Heather would feel the same way. With a deep breath and pounding heart, Naya whispered out to the expectant blonde.

"I love you, Heather."

Naya's quiet voice seemed to echo throughout the house, the words hanging thickly in the air. Naya was breathing heavily with anxiousness. She just poured her heart out… something she's never done for anyone. But for Heather? She would do it over again in a heartbeat. A sense of completeness washed over her, like she had finally made it to the end of a long a windy path. Her heart felt content and Lea's little voice in her head praised her proudly. Surmounting emotions were emitting from her body and into Heather's. The blonde remained speechless, eyes dazzling in admiration.

She had so much to say to the small brunette who was such an important part of her life. She didn't know where to begin or how to express it… words were never her forte. Naya always knew the right thing to say. She would be the one to help her in interviews to get her point across. Now, how could she compare after that speech? Heather desperately wished she could bare her emotions as bravely as Naya did, but every time she opened her mouth she didn't know where to begin...

The Latina was starting to worry under Heather's frank silence. It was quite unnerving after you tell someone you love them. She worried her lower lip.

"Um… y-you don't have to say anything back if you don't want… I understand that it's a lot and that I'm such a fucking sap and that I probably ruined the mood and—"

Heather lunged forward, reclaiming Naya's lips in a deep passionate kiss. She kissed her again… and again… and again. She wouldn't even let Naya breathe. Heather told Naya a story with her lips. She started from the very first day she met her. How she could instantly see through Naya's independent and intimidating armor. The Latina was fiery and protective, and Heather just remembered making it her goal to change that. She told her how she loved the way Naya was truly just a goofy nerd that had a passion for those she loved. That dorkiness was the best thing about her. She told her how she was pretty sure she's always loved Naya. Maybe as a friend at first, but that love has turned into so much more.

She told her how she's loved her for a year now… She realized it that day Naya stole her away to the beach. The way the Latina smiled into the sea laden air and embraced her in warm hugs to rid of the cold pain left in her heart from an unsatisfied boyfriend… The comfort her friend gave made Heather love her all the more and she couldn't help but playfully flirt with Naya throughout their beach date. Yes, date… Heather had deemed it so in her mind the minute Naya left her house. It was one of the best days of her life. She's known that she was in love with Naya, but she has been just too afraid to admit it. It didn't matter… she knew now and she wanted Naya to know to. This was the only way she could tell her how she felt and she prayed that Naya could feel it too.

Heather repositioned herself so she was straddling Naya's hips. She broke the kiss to feather light ones over the curvatures of Naya's face. As she placed one under her earlobe, she whispered to her.

"Didn't know you were such a softie…"

"Only around you…" Naya replied breathlessly.

"I'm sorry I made you wait," Heather said, sucking on Naya's neck, effectively leaving a deep red hickey on her tanned skin. Heather smiled at the mark.

"We'll just have to make up for lost time," Naya squeezed Heather's hip.

"Can we start now?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Heather playfully scrunched her nose at Naya and let her lips begin to wander. Naya's warm palms led a heated trail along Heather's skin up to the swell of her breasts. She gently cupped the soft flesh and squeezed, making Heather gasp against Naya's lips. Naya's nimble fingers worked through the fabric of her satin bra, expertly arousing her sensitive nipples which were embarrassingly peaking up through the garment. _Nate definitely did not know how to do this…_ Heather thought as a completely new feeling washed over her and through her, crawling down to that spot in between her thighs.

"N-Naya…" Heather stammered desperately, as the Latina continued to tweak at her overly sensitive nipples. "Oh god…"

It was a little pathetic that she was quickly becoming undone from some simple breast fondling… but what Naya was doing was incredibly torturous. Heather's thighs were beginning to shake. She broke away from Naya's contact briefly.

"This picture is not right," Heather pointed out flatly.

"W-What?" Naya asked, her breath catching in her throat.

"You have way too much clothing on right now," Heather said, roughly pulling at Naya's top. Naya giggled at the blonde's adamancy. Heather needed more skin contact.

"This isn't funny! Help me get this off! Now!"

It only made Naya laugh louder. Heather finally managed to wiggle the brunette out of her sweater, tossing it somewhere over the couch. Before she could get caught up in the smoothness of Naya's skin, the perfect curves of her bust, and the firmness of her stomach, Heather undid the button on Naya's denim shorts. She slid them off those miraculous thighs and sat back a little to admire the sight before her. It was nothing she hadn't seen before, but those glances and quick peeks in Naya's trailer left Heather curious for more. Now she could freely watch Naya's chest rise and fall, her tanned smooth legs running up against Heather's. She smiled dreamily, looking upon the exposed skin she was about to touch and fantasizing about those places she couldn't quite see yet…

Heather positioned her thigh between Naya's legs, her tanned one slipping in between Heather's. The foreign source of heat between Heather's legs caused her to immediately grind against it. The sweet friction was almost heavenly and she couldn't help but continue her thrusts repeatedly against Naya's skin. Their hearts beat wildly as they moved together, finding how easy it was to glide against each other's figures. Naya was beginning to break out in sweat, the heat from their body's emanating. Heather's face contorted into pure pleasure. Her eyes were closed, her brows furrowed, and her lips parted slightly. She buried herself into Naya's neck.

"Naya… God, Nay…" she whined over and over like a plea. "This… oh... f-fuck… I need you…"

Naya pulled Heather into a deep kiss as she slid her hand in between their bodies while her other steadied Heather's hips. The taller blonde whimpered at the lost rhythm that was slowly building her up. Her whimper was soon replaced by a choked gasp as Naya touched the slick heat in between her legs. Her elbows were quivering dangerously as a flood of arousal coursed down, evidence pooling through her underwear. She flushed in embarrassment, but Naya kept kissing her sweetly which always worked in making her forget about everything. Naya's expert fingers began to work small soft circles into overheated flesh. Heather felt like she was about to explode.

The blonde's hands desperately searched out for contact. She let her fingers dance teasingly down Naya's abdomen and toyed with the waistband of her underwear. Cautiously, she tried to imitate Naya's touches; however Heather's long fingers were shaky and uncontrollable. It didn't matter to Naya though, as when Heather made the first touch it sent her hips bucking forward aggressively. Naya's eyes fluttered closed and she was forced to stop her ministrations on Heather. She couldn't really focus on more than the fingers that hovered over that spot she needed to be touched most.

"P-Please Heather…" Naya begged, eyes squeezed shut. The blonde stared in awe at the Latina. Naya needed this. Never had she ever thought she would be given the liberty to touch and be touched by Heather so intimately.

Heather began to rub quickly against the juncture between Naya's legs and she was rewarded with the most heavenly symphony of sounds. The brunette's hurried breathing and deep red blush on her cheeks made Heather quicken her speed and increase her pressure. Naya's hips bucked wildly in response. She clung on to Heather and dug her nails into her shoulders. She dragged them down pale arms, effectively leaving deep red scratch marks. Heather leaned down and pressed their foreheads together as she continued her clumsy touches. She wasn't going to lie, she had no idea what she was doing. She just continued to respond to what Naya moaned and whimpered to. Naya didn't seem to care, she was just so fucking happy that this was actually happening. She was finally receiving relief after two long years of pent up need.

Nervously, Heather slipped Naya's underwear aside and tentatively ran a long digit along her hot heated folds.

"Uh… Heather… Oh, fuck…" Naya panted softly. Heather was sure she had never heard an explicative sound so sexy.

"What the fuck?"

Heather abruptly stopped, slipping her fingers away from between Naya's legs. Naya's eyes shot open. Heather practically fell off of Naya, rolling onto the floor in surprise and utter dread. The brunette bolted up off the couch, gripping a pillow to her body in order to attempt to hide herself from the invader. Heather clambered upright on shaky legs and she searched out for Naya's hand, grasping it firmly for support. She looked to the girl briefly. Naya was terrified. Not for herself, but for Heather and the blonde could sense it. She could feel the worry radiating off Naya's body, fearing any harm that would come to her. Heather tried her best to reassure her, squeezing her hand as reinforcement.

"Heather! What the hell is this?"

"I-It's not what you think—" Heather tried to explain nervously. She stood small and fragile in the middle of the living room, Naya behind her still clutching her hand.

"It's not what I think it is? I'm pretty sure I know what I saw… My girlfriend is fucking another girl. Another girl! Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No, no! Please, Nate! It isn't like that! Naya and I—"

"What? Have been fucking each other behind my back this whole time? I'm sure you loved it that I went home. I see why you were so pushy on making me go. I bet the first chance you got you went to have your disgusting lesbian rendezvouses and felt each other up twenty-four seven. So convenient that I was out of the way, wasn't it? I bet you loved that, Heather," Nate spat with hatred.

Heather's face began to crumple with Nate's words, gasping in surprise by the brutal hatred in his voice. She was breaking and she was breaking fast. Her eyes welled with tears. She began to falter, spiraling miserably in the wake of his words and Naya could feel it as Heather's grip on her hand began to slacken.

"Nate… please… I-I didn't want it to be like this…" Heather choked out.

Nate ran a frustrated hand through his hair and clenched his jaw angrily. This couldn't be happening… he's never felt so betrayed. He didn't want to say those things. He didn't want to be the cause of his girlfriend's broken pain. But he looked to the nakedness of the two girls before him, his eyes transfixed to their clasped hands. Envy ran deeply through his chest.

He spoke out dangerously quiet. His voice cracked and inevitable tears welled in his eyes, "I trusted you… I trusted both of you…"

He looked at the two of them hopelessly.

"I'm such a fool… thinking someone as amazing as you, Heather could be only true to someone as normal as me…" he said brokenly.

"Nate, stop… You know I love you…" her voice was shaky. Naya couldn't help, but feel her heart plummet to the floor.

He couldn't contain the next words that slipped quietly from his lips.

"Obviously it wasn't enough… I thought I could handle your natural flirting friendliness and you making out with people on screen… but all this?" Nate gestured with his hands. "I thought I knew you Heather, but I never thought you to be a slut."

Heather's heart crumbled and the tears began to freely fall from her face. That was the last straw. Naya couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey! You will _not_ speak to her like that!" Naya came forward aggressively.

"No, Naya don't…" Heather pleaded, trying to pull her back protectively. She couldn't trust Nate when he was acting like this… she couldn't let Naya get hurt.

"You think you can tell me how I can speak to my girlfriend?" Nate countered.

"I think I can give you a damn good lesson on how to speak to a _person_. She has done nothing wrong, if anything I'm the slut. She has been nothing but loyal to you! I will not let you go put her down like this," Naya argued, enraged.

"You're right, you are the slut. A slut who took advantage of a girl who didn't know any better. I confided in you Naya…" Nate muttered out weakly. "I confided in you and trusted that you would take care of her. Obviously you and I have a different definition of taking care of someone…"

"This isn't her fault," Naya glowered, while Heather clung to her arm.

"I swear… if you don't put some fucking clothes on and get out of my face…" Nate warned dangerously.

Heather stepped in between them, preventing Naya from advancing any further. She desperately held on to Naya's shoulders backing her away as the fiery Latina continued to throw accusatory words towards Nate who was starting to boil over the edge. Heather cupped her cheek to force her to look at her. Heather's tear streaked face was pleading for her to stop.

"Don't Naya… please just stop…" she sobbed.

"Why? I won't let him say these things to you," Naya choked out, angry tears spilling from her eyes.

"Heather, get her out of this house. Now!" Nate bellowed.

"You can't tell her what to do!" Naya shouted over Heather's shoulder.

"Naya, please. I'm begging you…" Heather pleaded. She picked up her shirt on the floor and pressed it to Naya's chest. Naya looked to her with furrowed eyebrows. _Don't make me leave_… Naya pleaded with her eyes. Heather's bloodshot eyes looked into Naya's, _I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…_

"Heather!" Nate yelled again.

Heather frantic and scared helped Naya into the shirt. The material swallowed the small Latina, the hem reaching to mid-thigh. The blonde began to usher her to the door, making Naya protest and look to her frantically. When they reached the door, Naya spun around to Heather. Tears were stinging in Naya's eyes as she continued to plead with the one person she cared about most.

"I won't leave you. Don't think I'm going to leave you," Naya told her seriously, grasping on to Heather's shaking form.

"Please, Naya… don't fight… I-I can't… I-I can't do this…" the blonde said shaking her head.

"Then let me help you… please, Heather… I won't to leave you alone with him."

"H-He doesn't know what he's saying… I don't want you to see him like this… I have to calm him down…" Heather tried weakly. _I have to get Naya out… He's never been this angry before… Who knows what he's going to say or do…_

"Don't make excuses for him, Heather. I told you. I _will not_ leave you alone with him…" Naya said sternly, holding on steadily to Heather's hands. Tears began to freely flow down her cheeks. Everyone was in a mess of tears and sobs. It was all too much to handle.

Heather shook her head vigorously. It was so hard to breathe… the pressure on her chest was overbearing. She had to get Naya out.

"I want you to leave, Naya," Heather said harshly. Naya's eyes sunk, her lip quivering.

"But—"

"I need you to leave now… this was all a stupid mistake. It's such a mess, Nay… You need to get out," with every word she spoke, Heather's heart continued to break as she watched the girl she loved begin to crumple like wasted paper.

"W-What are you saying?" Naya whispered. She searched those sad steel, blue eyes frantically.

"You heard me, Naya. I want you to leave… just do it. Please?" her last plea quivered on her tongue.

"Heather… I-I love you. Please don't do this…" Naya choked on her sob.

Heather was sobbing violently as she opened the door and pushed Naya out. She looked to her friend, her love, her everything. She looked to her one last time before the closed the door and clicked the lock.

Naya simply stood on the doormat. Eyes unmoving from the door. The cold air whipped around her and in that moment she had never felt so lost. She touched her fingertips lightly to the unfeeling wood of the door. She wished it would reopen and Heather would fling herself into her arms and they would go away from this place together. She waited… Nothing.

Distantly she heard the sound of a car pull up on the side of the street soon followed by the heavy footsteps against the driveway of Heather's house.

"Hey, I called you like ten times, Naya… Sorry I took so long. Remember never to give Kevin peach Schnapps ever again," Mark's voice called out as he stood behind the girl.

"What are you doing out here? And what in the world are you wearing?"

Naya turned around slowly. Her face was drenched in tears hot, nose puffy, lips bruised, and eyes swollen. She looked up to Mark who looked down to her worriedly.

"Oh, babe… you look like a mess…"

It was the most comforting thing she would be able to get out of Mark. She couldn't hold herself together anymore as she vocally let out her violent sobs, collapsing into her friend's awaiting arms. She had her fair share with crying over this girl… but never in her life was she left feeling nothing but the deep, painful gashes of bitter hopelessness.

_September 29__th__ 2010: 8:35 AM_

Naya cradled her head in her hands. Tears began to itch in the back of her eyes from the memories that flooded into her mind. She squeezed herself into a little ball, fisting the material of Heather's shirt. Bringing the fabric up to her nose she inhaled deeply, remembering that thick scent of sweet honey and syrup and pleasure. She couldn't hold back a strangled sob that bubbled from her throat. She didn't know where to go from here or what to expect from the coming day. She knew what she had to face, but she wasn't ready. Naya desperately prayed and hoped that Nate didn't hurt Heather… she wouldn't be able to live with herself if he did knowing she had the potential to stop it.

This was all her fault… If she had just left with Chris and Amber or found some way to get home this would have never happened. If she didn't let her feelings get the better of her she could still have Heather at least as a friend… Naya buried herself deep into Mark's bed, clinging on closely to Heather's shirt.

_How did I let this go so far? You ruined everything…_


	17. Chapter 17

Warning: Angst and Verbal Abuse

A/N:This is the "morning afterish" chapter of the story… so hang tight. I really wanted to tie in the loose ends of the Brit/Brit premiere, so this is kind of the link. I felt it would be a nice little breather from all the chaos that happened in the last three parts.

Again, thanks to my lovely betas and to you readers. Here's to you!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 17<p>

She wished she could bury herself under her dark fortress of bedding forever. Naya was about to drift off to a better place where Heather wouldn't be afraid of being with her when she heard the obnoxious noise of someone brushing their teeth. Mark came out of his bathroom clad only in his pajama bottoms. His surprising entrance sent Naya bolting upright and off the bed, taking all the sheets and comforter with her. Naya was flustered as she looked down at herself and her rather compromising position and attire. Mark simply paused his morning routine to smirk in amusement.

"Good morning to you too," Mark said as he couldn't help but stare at Naya's exposed cleavage and flashy red bra.

"Don't you own a shirt or something? And stop looking at me like that…" Naya muttered as she pulled the blankets closer around her all the while grimacing at Mark's bare chest.

"Kinda hard when you're putting everything on display, babe," he retorted as he watched Naya get back up and begin to rearrange the sheets. Mark went back into the bathroom to rinse his mouth.

Naya called out to him, "Don't call me babe!"

"You used to like it before," he swung his head out.

"Yeah… that's what I made you believe… I made you believe _a lot _of things, Mark. Like all those times I pretended to have an orgasm…" Naya said smoothing over wrinkles in the comforter.

"Okay, now you're just trying to crush a man's ego. You're not that good of an actress Naya," Mark called.

"You keep telling yourself that, Mark…"

He simply shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand dismissively at her as he moved to his dresser to find a shirt to wear. Naya plopped herself back down on his now made bed and rested her head in her hands again. Mark turned to face the sullen Latina and frowned. He moved over to sit next to her.

"I don't understand why you couldn't just take me home…" she mumbled into her palms.

Mark scoffed, "Yeah right I was gonna leave you alone in an empty apartment while you were wearing your tear glands down… You would have slit your wrists or popped pills or something crazy with the state you were in. What kinda guy do you take me for?"

"Didn't know you to be so chivalrous," Naya commented sarcastically.

"There's a lot of me you don't know. I played the gallant white knight the whole evening for you, Nay. Better be thankful," Mark said with that smirk, while Naya rolled her eyes as he continued to boost his already abnormally enlarged ego.

Mark then looked to her seriously, seeing that he couldn't shift the Latina's mood.

"How are you really holding up?" he asked gently.

"I didn't think it was possible to feel worse than I did yesterday," she garbled helplessly.

"I didn't think it was either… and that's coming from me," Naya glowered at him. "I'm only saying that cause you were a crying mess last night. I'm surprised you can even open your eyes today, you were crying so hard. I didn't hear the end of it…"

"W-What did I exactly tell you?" Naya asked worriedly. It's not that she didn't trust Mark, she just wasn't ready for him to know all those little details about her relationship with Heather.

"Actually… not much. You just kept rambling how much you loved Heather, lost respect for Lea, were pissed off at Dianna, and hated Nate," Mark listed as he rubbed soothing circles into her back. Then he added, "And you mentioned a few times how much you think I'm a stud."

He waggled his eyebrows up and down. Naya hit his hand away and rolled her eyes at him disapprovingly.

"Come on, Naya. You know what we say to each other stays between us. I'm not gonna go screaming it out to the world."

"I know… thank you, Mark. For everything. Not a lot of guys would be this comforting towards their ex," Naya replied. "I'm surprised you're not feeding off of me so miserable."

"I am a human being, Naya. I know what empathy means."

"Yeah, I guess… I guess I'm just surprised you didn't try anything…" Naya mumbled. When she looked back over at Mark, he was trying not to make eye contact.

"Wait… W-We didn't… Did we?" Naya asked worriedly, eyes wide and frantic.

"No! It's not like you were drunk, Naya… You should remember what happened last night. Being the gentleman I am I kicked myself out onto the couch," Mark paused before admitting guiltily, "But… I did try though…"

Naya glared at him sternly, perturbed and pissed that he would go so far as to try to pass a move.

"But you definitely were not having any of that last night. Don't worry, you're definitely straight up lesbian."

"Was that supposed to be a contradictory statement?" Naya snided, not amused by Mark at all.

"Look I'm sorry… Can't help a guy for trying…"

"You were going to take advantage of me, Mark," Naya stated.

"I'm sorry," Mark said, this time with sincerity as he awaited the wrath of Naya.

"It's fine… I guess I was asking for it…"

Mark furrowed his eyebrows at her in disappointment.

"No stop it," Mark said, grabbing Naya's shoulders and making her turn to him. "This isn't the Naya Rivera I know! You should call me a pathetic, sex-craved asshole or punch me in the face or storm out or something… You need to stop this!"

"It's kinda hard, Mark, when all you can think about is how heartbroken you are and praying to God that the person who is responsible for that isn't hurt…" Naya told him in a strangled voice. She slumped forward, holding her sides and breathing in shallow breaths. Mark clenched his jaw in slight frustration, but took the broken girl under his chin and held her in his arms.

"It's not your fault you know?"

"W-Why do I feel like it is? Why do I always feel like it's my fault?" Naya whispered.

"I don't know…" Mark answered back honestly. "I think only you can answer that. Unfortunately, I'm not a mind reader. I can't understand exactly what you're thinking…"

_Heather could…_ Naya inevitably thought.

"Naya… Can I tell you something honestly?"

Naya nodded.

"Promise you won't be angry with me?"

Naya hesitated before she nodded again.

"You need to let her go," Mark said simply. Naya leaned back to look up to him quizzically.

"W-What? But… she told me… I know she wants me as much as I want her…" Naya spoke weakly.

"Wanting someone isn't the same thing as loving someone, Naya. I feel like you're putting everything out there on the line for her, but she can't even meet you halfway… I look at you and I see how much she's tearing you apart. Even though she says she may want you, Naya… I don't know… I'm not convinced. Obviously she still has strong feelings for Nate if she keeps going back to him over you…" Mark tried to explain.

"She hasn't chosen anyone yet," Naya replied defensively.

"There! Even that, Naya! It shouldn't even be a choice, she should just know… In our relationship I knew in an instant I wanted to be with you…" Naya distanced herself further from Mark.

"Look, Naya… I'm just telling you how I feel about this and I'm not just saying it cause I'm jealous of Heather or anything like that. I just don't like seeing you this way…"

Mark tried to search out her brown eyes, but Naya wouldn't look at him. He sighed deeply.

"Fine… Well, if you think she's really worth all this fight—"

"She's worth everything," Naya replied automatically. _She is worth everything…_

"You really love her, don't you?" Mark asked more to himself.

"More than anything," Naya whispered. Mark nodded with a small smile.

"Then you need to go get your woman, Nay. I'm sick of you feeling so God damn sorry for yourself."

"It's unfortunate not everyone can think like you…" Naya commented bitterly.

"You know I just want the best for you," Mark told her full-heartedly.

Naya tried to smile back, but it ended up looking like a grimace. Mark simply reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Now that we have all that mushy, sappy shit out of the way… breakfast?" he got up to head towards the kitchen of his house, when Naya's eyes widened in realization.

"Fuck! What time is it?" Naya scrambled to Mark's bedside table where his alarm clock was mounted, falling off the bed again in the process.

Mark looked down at Naya, not moving to help and choosing to simply chuckle at her clumsiness, "Jesus Naya… You do realize you have these two functional things called legs that help you move around? Maybe you should try using them sometime."

Naya messily got back up and brought the alarm clock up close to her eyes. It read 8:44 AM. _That cannot be the fucking time!_

"Shut the fuck up, Mark! Shit! Shit! Shit! I'm fucking late for work!" Naya ran about the room searching for her clothes… "Where the fuck are my clothes?"

"I picked you up in that…" Mark said uninterested as he flopped back on the bed and scrolled through the messages on his phone.

"Clothes, Mark! I need clothes!" Naya barked at him through clenched teeth.

"You know if you really wanna win Heather over, do what I would do… Just go naked."

_Silence. The house was blanketed in a complete silence that made Heather quiver with fear. She stared at the door for a good five minutes, immediately regretting her choice with every fiber of her body. All she could see was Naya. Eyes broken and frustrated as she stared back to her pleading, begging her not to make the worst choice of her life. She hated herself for making Naya look so small, remembering distinctly how fragile the girl stood in Heather's oversized shirt. More tears leaked from her eyes, wishing, praying that Naya would be there to wipe them away with the soft pad of her thumb. But she didn't let her… she pushed her away… and Heather had never felt more stupid in her entire life. _

_ "Just breathe… remember to breathe…" she told herself as she turned around and slowly made her way back to the living room to confront what she knew was going to be ugly._

_ She peaked her head into the living room to find Nate slumped in the lounge chair. He had his forehead in his palm, while the other held a picture of the two of them shakily. Heather knew it was the one of the fireplace mantel… it was at one of his home baseball games back in Louisiana from before he got injured. He stood so proud and tall, holding her hip lovingly. The Nate she saw in that picture was not the Nate she saw now._

_ "Sit…" he murmured demandingly as he sensed her presence. _

_ Suddenly stronger, Heather replied, "I'm not a child, Nate you can't tell me what to do."_

_ "Sit!" he bellowed looking up to his tear stained girlfriend with anger and sadness in his own eyes. Heather wanted to keep this civil, so she did as he requested. She slowly and cautiously sat on the couch, feeling so vulnerable in the minimal clothing she was wearing. Just as she was about to go and pick up Naya's discarded sweatshirt so she had something to cover herself, Nate got up abruptly. _

_ He paced in front of Heather who felt like she was about to be lectured by her mom… She hated feeling this low, as if she were nothing._

_ "Nate…" she finally let out without patience._

_ "No!" he barked. Heather had enough._

_ "Please stop yelling at me like this!"_

_ "No… I have the right to be angry, Heather…"_

_ "I'm sorry, Nate…" Heather got up and touched his arm. "I told you I'm sorry."_

_ "Fuck, Heather!" he rounded on her sending her back a step. Then he whispered brokenly, "Why?"_

_ Heather opened and closed her mouth several times, contemplating over the right words to say. How could she explain that she's fallen in love with someone else? With her best friend? With a girl? Most importantly, why did she make Naya leave? She would know what to say, she always does. She hugged her body helplessly. _

_ "See… you can't even manage a word, she's got you so messed up…" Nate said, bitterly. Heather looked up at him through her eyelashes, clenching her jaw as he spoke. "I trusted her to look after you… That night at the premiere party I asked her to see if there was something wrong with you… with us… And she went and took advantage of that. I practically gave her permission…"_

_ "W-What? You asked my friend to pry on our relationship, Nate? To figure out what was _wrong_ with me?" Heather breathed out angrily._

_ "You shut me out, Heather. What did you expect me to do?"_

_ "To talk to me! To confront me if something is bothering you! Why would you go behind my back and ask my best friend something you should come to your girlfriend for?" Heather yelled enraged._

_ "Don't point all the blame at me now! Obviously something _was_ wrong if you've gone and fucked her…" Nate said, clutching the picture frame of the two of them in his hand dangerously._

_ "Stop it, Nate… Nothing happened!"_

_ "But something would have happened if I didn't come in, wouldn't it?" Nate accused. Heather couldn't rebuttal, as her mind at that moment was set with what she wanted and that was Naya._

_ Nate scoffed, "Unbelievable, Heather… really. It's pathetic how weakly you gave in to her. You're probably just another check off her list."_

_ "Stop talking about her like that," Heather said weakly, her resolve breaking with the words he was throwing at her. "Naya would never do that to me."_

_ "Jesus, Heather! When are you going to get in your head? She's using you. People like her are only out for one thing…"_

_ "People like her? You mean lesbians and bisexuals?" Heather spat, disgusted by his prejudice._

_ "Yes actually. She doesn't deserve you, Heather. She doesn't deserve love."_

_ "Everyone deserves love, Nate… you can't be so cruel to say that… I know you don't believe that. You don't believe in half the things you're saying right now…" Heather told him lowly. His fuse was burning short and Heather could feel it. She was terrified. Never from all the years she's known him had he ever hurt her like this. They've gotten in their fair share of fights, but they were nothing… nothing compared to this._

_ "I've actually never been thinking more clear in my entire life," he spoke quietly. It sent a trembling pulse up Heather's spine. "You are going to listen carefully, now. We are going to salvage this, Heather. It's the only way we are going to get through this…"_

_ Heather eyed him suspiciously as he continued. _

"_You are going to apologize. We are never going to speak about this again, to anyone. As far as I'm concerned this entire night never happened. And… you _will_ stay away from Naya, Heather." _

_Heather's eyes gaped at him, her heart racing in anger._

"_What? Nate, you're being ridiculous—"_

_Nate interrupted, "You will make her understand that you have no feelings for her in that way and that tonight was a complete mistake." _

"_You can't—"_

"_If you don't do it, Heather I will," Nate threatened. It silenced Heather. Her eyes bored into his trying to find that glint of softness in those now cold, graying blue eyes that she had fallen in love with so long ago. When Heather didn't answer, Nate took it as her agreement and began to walk past her over to the stairs. _

"_Good. I'm glad that's settled then," Nate said simply without feeling._

_Heather clenched her fists, nails biting harshly into the flesh of her palms. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, but she was damn sick of crying. Without turning to him she muttered just audible for Nate to hear._

"_No, Nate."_

_Nate stopped, sucking in a deep breath._

"_Heather… I don't want to argue about this anymore," he said weakly. He didn't want it to come this far, but it was the only way he knew how to keep Heather. He couldn't lose her._

"_You can't tell me who I can or cannot be with. And I can't… I will not do that to Naya. She deserves the truth…"_

_Nate turned back around to meet Heather's reddened blue orbs, laced with unshed tears._

"_And what is the truth, Heather? Enlighten me," Nate shrugged, although the truth wasn't really what he wanted to hear… He just wished it were yesterday, when all he knew was that his girlfriend loved him and all that mattered in the world was their future together. _

"_I… I want her, Nate. I want to be with her," Heather stated. She hadn't realized how impossibly good it felt finally saying it out loud to someone who wasn't Naya. It made her feelings so much more tangible… so much more real. Saying it made it true._

"_You don't know what you're saying," Nate muttered in denial, turning back away from Heather._

"_No! It's the truth, Nate. I'm sorry if you can't handle it, but it's real. The way I feel… I can't even begin to describe—"_

"_Then don't!" Nate boomed, advancing back towards her and Heather met him halfway just as enraged. "Stop letting her ruin everything, Heather!"_

"_You have to understand. You can't control how I feel. Naya loves me," Heather said strongly._

"_No!" angry tears were spilling from his eyes, and he held a vice grip on Heather's upper arm, "She doesn't love you! _I_ love you, Heather!"_

_Nate shoved the picture of the two of them against her nose, forcing her to look at their forgotten happy life, "I will not let you ruin everything I've done for you! Everything we worked for, for just some fucking lesbian!" _

_As the last prejudicial slur left his lips he threw the picture frame with his old pitching arm hard against the wall. The glass shattered and the wood casing dissembled in a heap on the tiled floor. The sound of the smashing echoed loudly throughout the house, making Heather jump. Nate's breathing was ragged, his body seeping with adrenaline as the last of it washed out of his fingertips. His face softened and he immediately turned to Heather who's eyes looked broken and terrified. _

_He swallowed thickly, realizing the damage he had done. Nate stumbled backwards completely ashamed with himself as he clutched at his hair in anger and disbelief. Cheeks enflamed and eyes flooded with tears, he looked to Heather pleadingly._

"_H-Heather… I'm so sorry… I-I swear… I didn't mean to hurt you… I don't want to hurt you," he choked as he tried to reach out to her, but Heather backed away._

"_Get out…" she whispered._

"_Heather… don't do this. Don't let her ruin us," he begged again._

"_I said get out, Nate!" she stood firmly._

"_Please, Heather…" he tried to take her hand in his._

"_Don't touch me…" Heather said, furthering backing away from him until her back hit the wall._

"_You have to know I never wanted to hurt you. She's just a stupid slut, Heather!"_

"_Hey! What the hell is going on here?" _

_Nate and Heather both turned to the stairwell where a very groggy and disheveled Ashley stood eyes blazing towards Nate. Ashley bounded, well more so stumbled down the stairs over to the arguing couple. Heather looked to her pleadingly and she thanked the lord that the girl was here._

_Placing her hands on her hips she glared at Nate, "Did you hurt her?"_

"_Ashley, stay out of this," he replied annoyed._

_She walked over to Heather and took her hand, standing in front of her protectively._

"_Did he hurt you?" she asked Heather directly, and the blonde timidly shook her head no._

"_See? Now can you please leave us alone, we're in the middle of something that does not concern you," Nate glowered._

"_Hey, buddy. Now you listen here," Ashley stuck a finger into his chest. "If Heather wants you out, you get out. This is our house. I don't see you paying rent here. Now I may have the worst hang over of the century and my coordination may be a little impaired, but when I'm drunk you will encounter a beast my friend. I will not let you stand here and berate a girl who did absolutely nothing but follow what her heart told her to do."_

_Nate wasn't looking at Ashley, he was looking at Heather who stood fragile and small behind her roommate. His heart was breaking. He tried to search out Heather's eyes, but she wouldn't look at him._

"_Heather… tell me it's all not true," he murmured. Heather peeked up slightly at him, chewing at her lower lip. She tried to tell him with her eyes that it was so, not brave enough to trust her own voice at the moment. She did, after all, spend countless years with this boy, believing they would get married, have kids, a small house, and live the fairytale life. That safety of a dream is hard to let go._

"_You don't have to answer that, Heather. Not now anyway," Ashley thankfully answered for her, and Heather gave her a weak smile of appreciation._

"_You better leave," Heather finally said and Nate looked to her defeated._

"_Mhm. That's right, buddy! Don't make kick you in the nads! You may not ever be able to children, don't want that do we?" Ashley said as she shooed him to the door. Nate scowled, taking one final glance at Heather. _

"_I'm not letting you go that easily, you can count on that," Nate promised and it sent a cold rush through Heather's tired limbs._

_With that he left with a loud slam of the door, both of the girls flinched from the deafening sound. Heather fell back limply against the wall behind her; her head lightly rolling back with a thud. She breathed in deeply through her nostrils as her eyes closed, and the tears she had been holding back streamed down her face silently. Ashley's eyebrows worried together as she looked at her devastated friend, so naked and beaten. She squeezed her hand supportively as it felt like it was the only thing she could do._

"_What have I done?" Heather muttered weakly, opening her bloodshot eyes and staring at the ceiling. "I really did fuck up everything."_

"_Stop that. I meant it when I said you did nothing wrong, Heather… You just fell in love. There's nothing you can do to prevent that," Ashley spoke out to her, brushing tangled strands away from Heather's mouth so she could breathe. _

_Heather gave a weak scoff, "Is it really that? Love? I don't even know anymore…"_

"_Honey… Come on now… you and I both know—" Ashley tried, knowing very well by just being an outside observer how the two looked at each other. It took no genius._

"_I don't know what these feelings are. They could just be lust for all I know… I know that I want her… I want to be with her, but is that love? What if I'm wrong, Ash? What if he's right and… and she's just fooling me… I'm so scared that…" Heather managed between wheezes. Ashley pulled her friend into a hug before she could fall apart, rubbing soothing circles into her back._

"_What are you so afraid of, Hemo?"_

"_E-Everything…" Heather choked._

_Ashley scoffed, "Okay, that's a little overdramatic now. I find that horribly hard to believe. The Heather I know is fearless. She could take on the world…"_

_Heather pulled back to look at her friend in the eye while she said, "Ashley… I-I'm scared that she's going to break me… like how I just broke Nate. I'm terrified of all these things I feel for her… I've never been so attached. With her having all of me, she can completely ruin me…"_

"_Heather, listen to me," Ashley looked deeply into Heather's swollen eyes, "If that ain't love sweetie, I don't know what the hell is. When it comes down to something as strong as that, you have to understand that taking chances and taking that plunge is the risk that unfortunately comes along with it. You just have to pray that the person you're in love with will be there with an extra life preserver on hand. And believe me when I say this… I'm more than a hundred percent confident that Naya won't let you drown."_

_Heather searched Ashley's eyes, hope swimming in hers as she listened to the words she said. _

"_I'm actually pretty sure Naya would let you use her as your personal life raft just to keep you dry," Ashley finished with a smile, making Heather smile back weakly. "Hey, there's that pretty grin I've been waiting to see. Only you could work that whole hot mess look."_

_Heather pulled Ashley into another bone crushing hug, pouring her thanks into the embrace. Ashley simply chuckled and hugged her back._

"_I swear, the best wisdom comes from those who are drunk off their ass…" Ashley chided, and Heather just nuzzled deeper into her protective shoulder. "You're going to be fine Heather. You and Naya work. Believe me… I could hear it all the way in my room."_

_Heather's eyes gaped as she pulled back from Ashley and looked to her completely mortified. Her previously red and bloated face, whitened considerably._

"_Y-You heard that?" Heather stuttered._

"_Honey… you do realize how thin these walls are?" she rapped on the wall behind them to emphasize. "I had to plug in the good old Simon and Garfunkel to lull me back into my drunken slumber so I could peacefully ignore the two of you moaning and groaning. Naya certainly knows how to vocally express her love… And you missy… They _should_ give Brittany all the solos cause, honey, you really have the lung capacity," Ashley mocked, poking Heather's nose. Heather batted her away annoyed, but her cheeks were flushing a deep red in embarrassment. _

_Ashley raised her hands up in defense, "Hey! I just wasn't expecting it because you were never that loud with Nate."_

_Heather glared at her, "I think it's a little too early for that."_

"_You're right… I apologize," Ashley told her sincerely._

_Heather breathed out a heavy sigh, "So, what do I do now?"_

"_Ball is in your court, Hemo. It's something only you can decide," Ashley told her knowingly, and then she added, "But I think you already know what you want to do."_

_Ashley winked at her roommate, a wide grin spreading on her lips. Heather looked down bashfully, but couldn't help the inevitable smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. _

Right, it's time to get her back before it's too late.

When Heather woke up the next morning, she was surprised she was able to function properly given the circumstances of last night. Her hand was entangled in a friendly clasp with Ashley, whom she asked to sleep in the same room that night. She didn't want to be alone. However, it may not have been the smartest choice as Ashley snored like fog horn that blew repeatedly throughout the night.

She went on with her normal morning routine, even though normal didn't describe how she felt. She was a bundle of nerves. She had to run up and down the stairs a few times to calm herself down, making Ashley yell at her for making so much noise.

Around 6:15 AM, Heather left her house with her keys and Naya's things in her hand. She realized as she picked them up that she shoved Naya out into the cold street practically naked, with no phone, and no money. It sounded like the worst sorority hazing she could possibly imagine and she hoped that Naya would forgive her for it. More importantly she hoped she made it back home alright.


	18. Chapter 18

Quick shout out to fossil_10 for making me laugh all the time, sarake_leeg for pinpointing my faults, and to stalkertype19 for reassuring me and keeping me sane. Hope you all like the chapter!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 18<p>

"I swear to God, if making me late is your way of pay back because I told you I fake enjoyed sex for all those months you are so dead Salling!"

Naya was tapping her foot impatiently as they rolled slowly over to the Paramount lot. Mark simply chuckled loudly, continuing to munch on his bagel.

"I can't believe you honestly think this is amusing!" Naya continued to rant in his ear, which made Mark laugh even louder.

It was 9:22 AM and she was expected be in costume and prepping for hair and makeup by now. She was totally fucked; dread was swimming over her body with every minute ticking by on Mark's radio… Not only was she worried to get the worst lecture of her life from Ryan, she was also terrified of confronting Heather. She didn't know what to expect or how to acknowledge the events of last night appropriately. She so terribly wanted to hold on to the girl tight and feather kisses over that lovely face, promising her that she would never let her go. She hoped to God she wasn't hurt… But the other side of her knew she shouldn't. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries and lose her for good. Heather literally tossed her out of her house. If that wasn't rejection, Naya didn't know what was. It didn't mean she wasn't going to at least try to approach Heather about this. She still cared immensely for her best friend… if that was all they could be. Naya supposed she could try to accept it.

"'Try' is the key word…" Naya mumbled to herself out loud.

"Say something?" Mark said, chewing obnoxiously.

"Just that if you don't hurry the fuck up, I'll make sure that any girl who comes within a ten foot radius of you is well informed of the real reason why we broke up…" Naya growled, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Whoa, I apologize that I can't control traffic. Not my fault that you decided to wake up late and hit L.A. rush hour."

"Shut up and drive."

They finally pulled into the parking lot at 9:45 making Naya officially screwed… She hastily got out of the car, having to hold up a pair of Mark's cargo shorts by the waist. She tried to straighten herself up the best she could, but there was only so much she could do when she was wearing guy's clothing that was three times her size. Mark smirked at her as he watched Naya attempt to make herself look slightly presentable.

"I think you look fucking hot," Mark admitted honestly. There was nothing like seeing Naya wearing his clothes. He wasn't going to lie, it was a big turn on.

Naya looked down at herself. She was clad in one of Mark's old, wrinkled bird shirts that had big hawk and owl or something on it. It was oversized like Heather's, but it wasn't cut in inappropriate places so it covered her nicely. Nicely meaning her chest wasn't exposed and it dropped down almost to mid-thigh. Complementing the army print cargo shorts she threw on, she stole a pair of combat boots that Mark had never worn which was the only part of the outfit she actually approved of; disregarding the fact that Mark wore a size eleven while she wore a size seven.

She looked back up at him and glared, "I look like a fucking idiot."

Mark just burst out laughing.

"Well, you definitely nailed the whole dyke look."

"Do you realize how offensive you can be?" Naya said, squinting her eyes at him.

"Yeah, of course. But who would I be if I wasn't this way?" Mark asked giving her his cheeky signature grin as he continued to eye her up and down without shame. Naya grimaced at him.

"Stop checking me out. It's gross," Naya scoffed and slammed the passenger door in his face and began to run towards the path up to her trailer. Before she could get too far, Mark called out to her. Naya turned around slowly and leaned in to Mark's rolled down window.

"Hey, good luck today, Rivera… I mean it," Mark said, eyes filled with sincerity. Naya gave him a small smile.

"Thanks, Mark," she leaned in and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation. Mark always talks like he's such a playboy, but Naya knew better as she has seen the softie in him. "It means a lot that you took care of me…"

"Yah, yah… I know you love me," he said with a wink.

"And then you have to ruin it," Naya replied with a sigh, tapping the car door. "Now get outta here Mark before they tow your pretty car away."

"Still need me to pick you up around six?"

"Yeah, thanks again. I really gotta run," Naya said while retreating towards her trailer.

Mark nodded, "Mhm." Still a little peeved that Naya wanted to be with Heather so badly after what had happened last night, he added bitterly, "Go get your lesbian lover, Naya!"

As Naya sprinted away to get ready for the day, she flipped Mark off making him chuckle and shake his head. He was about to speed off to his recording studio, when he turned to his right and saw a whip of golden hair and a pair of long legs running out of site. He furrowed his eyebrows curiously, knowing very well who would be spying on him and Naya. Deciding boldly to confront the intruder, he shifted his car back into park.

Heather was pacing. Her palms were clammy as they wrung Naya's previously perfectly folded clothes with anxiousness. She realized as she saw the articles of clothing littered around her living room that she shoved Naya out into a cold street practically naked, with no phone, and no money. It sounded like the worst sorority hazing she could possibly imagine and she hoped that Naya would forgive her for it.

When Heather woke up the next morning, she was surprised she was able to function properly given the circumstances of last night. Her hand was entangled in a friendly clasp with Ashley, whom she asked to sleep in the same room that night. She didn't want to be alone. Ashley suggested that she call Naya over. Even if the girl didn't have a phone, Ashley would have found a way to hunt her down. Heather protested and pleaded her friend not to. She was terrified of what she should say or if Naya would even want to come back… she just needed a night to recollect herself and cry a little more into her friend's shoulder. However, it may not have been the smartest choice as Ashley snored like fog horn that blew repeatedly throughout the night.

She went on with her normal morning routine, even though normal didn't describe how she felt. She was a bundle of nerves. She had to run up and down the stairs a few times to calm herself down, making Ashley yell at her for making so much noise. Her mind was reeling, tossing around words of endearment and of love… but it all sounded so cheesy and rehearsed. She wished it would flow naturally like whenever Naya said a simple hello. This whole being horrible with words thing was giving her a major handicap, even more so since she had to explain her feelings. That alone made everything so much more complicated…

Heather would make a good five steps in the direction of Naya's trailer, but the words in her head would send her seven more back. She wasn't quite sure why she was fighting this so much. It wasn't Naya she was scared of… Naya was the only person she actually felt completely safe around at the moment. It was everyone else she was nervous about that kept her feet glued to the ground. She had been set and ready to confront Naya. After Ashley's early morning pep talk she felt ready to take on the world again…

_"It's just one person telling another person how much they love them. Gender and labels shouldn't mean anything… You're just two people in love."_

She knew Ashley was right. Heather had recently deemed the woman as her personal monk who gave her guidance on the philosophy of love. But then she saw Naya get out of Mark's car this morning… and wearing his clothes…

"It's nothing to get so worked up about…" she mumbled as she progressively got closer to Naya's trailer. She made figure eight like pathways to divert herself from actually marching up to the flimsy door.

"You did kick her out after all… she had nowhere to go… Mark and Naya are just friends, she told you that…" Heather continued to convince herself, but she couldn't help but think of Naya leaning in the car door window and kissing Mark goodbye.

She let out a strangled groan out in frustration. Her jealously was getting the best of her; her wandering, betraying mind beating down her moral ever so slowly.

"It was probably nothing… It _was_ nothing… Just go and ask her yourself," with that little self-boost of confidence Heather made her way over to the trailer. She stood at the foot of the makeshift stairs, her heart pounding. She chewed her lower lip anxiously.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

_Remember, she loves you… she doesn't love—_

"Mark?"

When Heather opened her eyes, she jumped a little in surprise. Mark was standing at her left with a raised eyebrow and a clenched jaw. He examined her carefully as if he were measuring her up. Heather glared back at him, her demeanor unwavering to what she assumed was supposed to be his intimidating stance. He just looked like he really needed to go to the bathroom. However, her palms contradicted her exterior. They were dampening the fabric of Naya's shorts and sweater.

"What are you doing here?" she asked biting her cheek while trying to sound as civil as possible.

"Just dropping off Naya and making sure she was okay like a real friend is supposed to do," he replied coldly, making Heather feel a pang of guilt as she stared at her slipper covered feet.

"Hm… since when have friends slept with other people while they were dating?" Heather replied coolly.

"You look spiffy," Mark commented through clenched teeth at Heather's costume, completely ignoring her snide. Heather was adorn in a man's tuxedo. She had the bowtie, suspenders, tailcoat and all. She was dressed for Chris's number "Le Jazz Hot" to finish off the duets episode. Heather was just one of the backup dancers for the day. She wasn't in her wig yet so her blonde locks fell in a worried tangle on her shoulders and she had cuffed her slacks making it easy to see her mismatched holiday socks.

"Yeah… we're shooting a dance number today…" she mumbled.

Mark gave a curt nod, "Cool."

"Hey, listen I would love to chat and all, but I really need to speak to Naya…" Heather tried to make her way around Mark when he spoke up again.

"You think that's such a good idea?" he asked, arms folded across his chest. He knew he shouldn't get into this situation, but when it came to Naya he dragged himself in. He felt this unidentifiable impulse to protect her, as if he could sense danger in his wake.

Heather froze, one foot on the first step to Naya's trailer. She knew she didn't have time for this and that she shouldn't trust anything Mark says. But the anger boiled dangerously in the pit of her stomach, leaving a bad taste in her mouth. It wasn't fair for Mark to judge so abrasively when he didn't know the whole story. She just wanted Naya's forgiveness. Heather could give a fuck about what Mark thought. She pivoted up on the step, making her a couple inches taller than Mark.

"I just don't think Naya is in a stable place right now after last night. Maybe you should keep your distance," Mark suggested her warningly. His voice was gentle, but his deep green eyes remained unforgiving.

"Mark, I get that we were never that close. But Naya always trusted you. I know you want the best for her and so do I. I need the chance to tell her how much I—" Heather still couldn't manage to explain her true feelings for Naya under Mark's expecting gaze, "…care."

Mark's expression still remained cold. He wasn't convinced… Mark had never seen Naya so completely broken apart before and it scared him that she was pushed that far into such a heart wrenching state of hopelessness. Naya had never cried in front of him unless it was for a scene, nor has she ever fallen into his arms so limply that she needed support to stand. The Naya he knew and fell in love with was always too stubborn to fall dependent on someone before. He hated seeing her so weak, with that he hated the person that was causing her weakness. Mark knew that Heather was a good person and she had the right intentions. But did he trust her with Naya's heart?

_No._

"If you cared so fucking much you wouldn't have thrown her out in the street making her feel like nothing," Mark told her outright. Heather was taken aback.

"What the hell is your problem? I'm pretty sure this isn't any of your business…" Heather retorted, nails biting harshly into Naya's things.

"It is my business when I found her in front of your house with absolutely nothing and nowhere to go. You're lucky I was there to take her in or else she would have been wandering the fucking neighborhood in her underwear."

"Look, I am thankful that you were there and and made sure she was okay. Really I am… you have no idea how worried I was—" Heather tried, but Mark cut her off.

"But you're actions say otherwise, Heather. I may know that you care, but Naya doesn't. You make her believe with every choice you make that you don't love her, when all of us know that you do," Mark told her harshly. Heather stared at him, biting painfully into her lower lip. "Or do you love her? Sometimes, I honestly can't really tell after the way you treated her…"

"I know, Mark… I know what I did was wrong and I want to tell her I'm sorry," Heather looked to him, hoping he would understand. When she didn't receive any she continued.

"I don't want to be lectured, Mark… I had enough of that last night. I'm not asking anything of you and I don't need your approval. I care about Naya despite what you think. So don't question how I feel about her, because it's nothing you can change. I've realized my mistakes… and now I'm asking you, please stay out of this," Heather told him pleadingly.

Mark didn't listen, his protectiveness overcoming him, "You obviously realized that Nate is no good for you. Great, so stop leading him on. If you can't do that, stop leading Naya on. Take your pick. But by pulling them along in this fucked up game you're playing, you're hurting the both of them."

"You think that I wanted all this to happen? You think that I take pleasure out of all this? I know I can be stupid and it takes me a little while longer to figure things out, but I'm not cruel. I don't _want_ to hurt anyone. That's why I'm here… I'm here to apologize…" Heather said in frustration. She just wanted to see Naya, she didn't want any of this shit.

"You didn't see what I did, Heather!" Mark raised his voice. "You _completely_ broke her. Do you realize how much damage you have actually done? She was balling her eyes out over you and you couldn't even manage to try to find out if she's okay. You were too worried about your fucking self to care!"

"That's not fair, Mark… I wanted to… I wished I… I didn't want it to be that way… it's not what I wanted her to think. Last night was a lot to handle," Heather tried to explain, rubbing at her tired eyes in frustration. The more Mark spoke the heavier the guilt was sinking in her gut.

She clamped a shaky hand on the back of her neck, trying to swallow a scream of anguish threatening to rip from her throat. All her confidence was being trampled on by Mark as he was slowly resurfacing Heather's insecurities and doubt about her sexuality, her heart, and her so-called love for Naya…

"God… you're just making up excuses. Just think if Naya had been in your position. We both know she would have searched every street until morning to make sure you _at least_ made it home safe. You couldn't even do that," Mark whispered lowly. Heather remained silent, twisting the words in her head as she twisted Naya's clothes.

"The worst part is…" Mark scoffed, "Is that you know how much she loves you. You know she would give up the world for you, she probably already has… Yet you still toy around with her heart, playing cat and mouse. You make her believe she has a chance but let her down time after time… I just don't get why she still believes in you…"

Heather simply soaked up his words like a sponge. Her mind was whirring, reluctantly agreeing with what he was saying. She knew he was right… she made Naya believe that she was ready to dive into a relationship when she hadn't been confident that she was quite ready herself. She led her on, she knew that… but Heather's as heart spoke out to her. She knew differently now. She couldn't give up. She knew what she was feeling wasn't going to go away. She _knew _she loved Naya… if only she could prove to everyone that she did.

"Just admit it, Heather… you'll never be able to commit," Mark took hold of Naya's things and slipped them from Heather's grasp. Her piercing blue eyes shot up to him with eyebrows creased with anger, frustration, and sadness. But Mark knew he was doing them both a favor.

"I get what you two have… don't think I don't understand or that I'm just saying this to get Naya back. I know that's over," Mark told her, his voice more sullen. "I'm just telling you this because I feel like right now you're not right for each other. It really shouldn't be this difficult."

Mark looked over Heather's slumped posture, her mind visibly brooding over what he was telling her. He sighed deeply.

"Leave her alone before you hurt her even more. You both are better off without each other. Together, you'll destroy each other."

The levity of his words weighed down on Heather's shoulders like a rockslide and she crumbled down with it. She stepped down off of the stairs of the trailer in defeat. Mark brushed past her and placed Naya's clothes, phone, and purse in a neat stack at the foot of her door.

He strode back down and passed Heather when she whispered firmly out to him and to herself.

"You're wrong."

Mark stopped and slowly turned back around to face Heather. Her eyes were reddened but her tears were unshed. She looked to him. Her blue eyes swam with a mixture of anger and desperation.

"I get that I may not have been that straight forward with the way I feel about Naya, but I know what I want now…" Heather reasoned out and then whispered, "I'm not scared anymore… I—"

"Love her… yah I know…" Mark shot back skeptically, mocking the fact that Heather couldn't say it out loud.

Heather's jaw clenched tightly and she glared at him dangerously through eyelashes.

She snapped.

She wasn't going to take any more of his bullshit as her mind turned off and her body went on autopilot. She marched up to him in two long strides, her tailcoats whipping behind her. An anger she had never experienced before, rippled over every muscle in her body. Before she knew it she swung her right hand forward putting all her weight behind it, crashing her fist aimlessly into Mark's surprised face. The unexpected blow sent him to the ground as he yelped in pain, holding his left eye with his hand.

"JESUS CHRIST! WHAT THE FUCK HEATHER?" Mark cried out, his voice slightly cracking in agony which caught attention of cast members and crew nearby. Heather couldn't help but smirk momentarily at the pathetic sight before her as the grown man cradled himself like an infant. Her smirk was instantly replaced with regret as she realized her abnormal act of violence. Her eyes widened with fear.

The last thing Heather would describe herself as would be a violent person. The only other time besides this very occasion that she had physically hurt someone intentionally was when she broke one of her older sister's arm. She had pushed her off a bunk bed for some forgotten childish reason. Heather was lectured immediately after by her father and she had never hurt anyone until now. She automatically felt remorse and regret as she thought of her father's gentle, yet firm voice. But the fleeting feeling wasn't enough for her to stop the next words that tumbled from her lips.

She glowered down to him for only Mark to hear, "I'm not giving up until she turns me away. When that day comes and she tells me she doesn't love me anymore, fine… I'll leave her alone. But for fuckssake… I am sick and tired of people telling me what I should do and how I should feel. If I want to be with someone, I will fucking be with them if I want to! So stay the hell out of my relationship with Naya because you don't know one thing about us…"

He squinted up at her and Heather could see a darkening welt encircle his wounded eye. Her voice was sharp and threatening. It sounded unrecognizable as the intensity of her own words frightened her. She opened her mouth to continue to give her costar another earful, but was caught as the trailer door swung open and revealed a confusedly beautiful Naya. Heather's face instantly softened and her heart raced slower, but continued to race all the more albeit a different reason. She couldn't help as she sighed and let her lips curve with the tiny most unnoticeable smile. As her eyes fell on Naya, it just felt like another confirmation of her feelings. There was no turning back now…

Naya had been flustering about her trailer quickly trying to dress and ready herself to be on set. She looked a mess, her cheerleading uniform was thrown on haphazardly and she tossed unknown and questionable products into her frizzing hair in attempts to smooth it down. As she was yanking her brush through her now damaged hair extensions, she heard raised voices just outside her trailer door. She ignored them at first, focused on the time ticking away. That was until she heard her name being spoken softly by that all too familiar voice. Her eyes widened in realization. A few seconds after, she heard Mark's strained voice boom through the lot. She moved quickly throwing her brush down and slipping on a pair of sandals while clambering towards her door.

As she swung her trailer door open, her eyes quickly bounced back between the crumpled figure on the floor to the tall blonde standing firm with clenched fists. Her eyebrows creased in confusion as her eyes met Heather who now stood slightly nervous under the Latina's gaze. Mark groaned causing Naya to momentarily look to him with a raised eyebrow, but choose to ignore his evident pain, seeing nothing but Heather. She quickly moved to the blonde as if she were afraid she would disappear.

"Heather? What's— Shit!" Naya started, but her feet snagged in something beneath her and she felt herself tumbling, headfirst down the two feet of stairs and smacking onto the hard pavement. Her body sprawled out on the dirty ground, the gravel scuffing her pressed cheerios outfit. Naya's legs and arms had flailed in all sorts of directions, causing her right knee to collide painfully into the bottom step of her trailer. Naya scrunched her nose and bit her lower lip from the embarrassing and painful fall.

"Well, fuck… it's like I'm fucking Bambi today or something…" she mumbled quietly, trying to muffle anymore profanities wanting to slip from her lips.

"Naya!"

With the agility only a dancer would have, Heather was at Naya's side in a heartbeat. At the instant she saw Naya trip she went to try to catch her, but she was just a millisecond late. She crouched down, placing a gentle hand on the brunette's back while the other held her up slowly from underneath her elbow. Following Heather, a few crew members came to the fallen actor and actress's side including Lea, Chris, Chord, and Dianna who were nearby. Naya watched as Dianna peered under Mark's hand to examine his eye, while Chord patted his shoulder. Heather sat Naya up slowly trying to minimize the other woman's pain. Heather took her chin gently, making Naya look into her eyes as she gently rubbed away at a smudge and fragmented pebbles left on her cheek. Naya subconsciously leaned into the touch making Heather smile slightly.

"A-Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he? I swear to God if he did… You're okay right?" Naya immediately asked in a mad rush, eyes bugging out with worry. Heather simply looked to her lovingly and gave a light chuckle.

"I should be asking you that," she whispered back and Naya felt Heather intertwine their fingers together.

She looked down to their interlocked hands and a sense of relief washed over her. As her gaze traveled back up to Heather's face hesitantly, her eyes widened even more. Heather continued to look to her with a familiar yet unrecognizable glint in her gleaming blue eyes. Heather's lips tugged up into a nervous grin as she squeezed Naya's hand, rubbing circles on the back of it. For a couple seconds, Naya simply stared back at her; a mixture of uncertainty and disbelief written in her eyes. She hated jumping to conclusions, but Heather wouldn't stop looking at her like that, with her eyes big and full with… Naya gulped in realization. Heather didn't need to say anything, Naya read deeply in those never-ending blue eyes. It's stupid, saying how they had a silent form of communication… but they did. They were best friends and it came with the territory. It's all Naya really needed at the moment, conversation and explanation could be saved for a later time. She beamed brightly.

"Heather?" she whispered quietly. The blonde simply nodded, the smile unable to falter from her lips. Mark observing the scene from afar couldn't help, but shake his head bitterly at the two girls.

"But… you… and me… what about Nate? And…" Naya was trying to put all the pieces together. Heather squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Naya was about to throw her lips on Heather's right then if it hadn't been for fucking Lea…

"Oh my God! Naya you're bleeding!" Lea screeched pointing at Naya's knee.

Naya hadn't noticed; she had been so absorbed in Heather to feel the throbbing pain in her knee. Everyone's eyes turned to her injured leg, as a trail of blood had begun to run down the back of her calf from the ugly open wound on her quickly purpling knee.

"Oh god…" Heather said worriedly as her expression quickly turned to one of concern. She dropped Naya's hand to move in front of the injured girl. Heather sat on her heels as she took Naya's leg and pulled it up on her thighs. The small movement made Naya wince as a sharp pain buzzed around the wound site.

"Try to prop her leg up a little more, Heather," Dianna suggested.

Heather looked to Naya distractedly as she tried to prop up her leg as gently as she possibly could. Naya bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut.

"That's just disgusting," Chris commented watching the blood ooze from Naya's knee. Heather glared up at him and he shifted uncomfortably.

"I'll go get my Dora the Explorer Band-Aids, Nay," Chris coughed out as he hurried over to his trailer.

"That does look pretty bad. It looks like it's bruising. You need ice," Chord said, as he began to look around for a stagehand.

"Hey!" came Mark's unexpected strangled voice from next to the huddled group. "What the fuck? No one offers me anything while I'm here lying on the floor too?" He was still cradling his face as if it were broken or something. Heather couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Okay, okay... just settle down Mark. We'll get you someone to look at your eye," Dianna told him gently as Mark brooded.

Chord had brought over Roy who had some ice and a first aid kit. Heather assisted the runner as he began to bandage up her knee carefully. Naya smiled to him appreciatively. Heather secretly squeezed Naya's upper thigh gently, making the Latina smile towards her affectionately. Suddenly, Naya spotted a short, balding man stalking towards them. She sighed inwardly.

"What the hell happened here? You were all expected to be in the studio fifteen minutes ago. Why are two of my actors on the ground injured?" Ryan questioned angrily, hand placed on his hip while he waited expectantly for an answer.

"Naya tripped down her trailer, Ryan. She busted her knee pretty bad," Chord informed the boss. Ryan's head had never been more shiny as he fumed about the situation.

Pinching the bridge of his nose he mumbled, "What in the world did you trip on? Please tell me you didn't fall over your own feet."

"No… she tripped over, a sweater?" Dianna questioned as she picked up the fallen item, while Lea retrieved Naya's shorts, purse, and phone that had slipped off of the trailer steps during the incident. Dianna and Lea gave her back her belongings. Naya examined her phone and was thankful that there was minimal damage: only a couple dents on the edges and some scratches tarnished the polished back. Naya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as to why her things were stacked at her doorstep. She looked to Heather who in turn looked to Mark who couldn't look at anyone because his cheeks were reddening in guilt.

"And why was the sweater there?" Ryan continued.

"It was placed there on accident, Ryan. Sorry," Heather told him simply, not wishing to delve into the whole story or point fingers. Roy finished dressing Naya's wound and Heather resumed her role taking care of any of her discomfort.

Ryan sighed, "Well, good thing you're only sitting today… I'll just tell Eric to keep your legs out of the shot. Everyone be at the set in five. No excuses."

Ryan turned to leave, but stopped himself as he saw Mark still sitting on the ground.

"What's wrong with you?"

Mark looked up at him and out of anger he spat, "Heather fucking punched me in the eye!"

Ryan turned back slowly. He looked to Heather crossly, folding his arms across his chest. She had never seen him look so disappointed in her before. Her face dropped as she looked to Mark in total disbelief. She covered his ass and he went and called her out. _Fucking asshole!_ She cursed in her mind as she fumed silently, even though punching him may not have been her smartest idea. Heather looked back to Naya who was eying her quizzically.

"Why did you hit him, Heather?" Naya asked quietly with a raised eyebrow.

"Naya… I—"

"Heather. Mark. My office. Now," Ryan simply stated and with that he started to walk away, expecting the other two to follow. Everyone looked to each other, unfamiliar with the way Ryan treated Heather and Mark as if they were going to get detention or something.

"What the hell? I didn't even do anything!"

"Just shut up, Mark," Heather mumbled. Mark glared at her as he got up.

"Ryan, can I at least make sure Naya gets up her trailer okay? I—" Heather began, but Ryan cut her off curtly.

"No, Heather. I'm sure she'll manage fine without you."

"I'm sure this all a misunderstanding… Heather wouldn't—" Naya also protested worried for Heather's position and wanting to get time alone with her. She couldn't get fired for this… could she?

Ryan turned back around to Naya in frustration, "And you were late this morning. So don't you start with me now. Go back to your trailer and put on another cheerios costume. Get Molly to fix your hair… you look a mess. You'll have to do makeup touches once you're onset, we're running low on time…"

He mumbled to himself, "Jesus if the press heard about all this…"

"Ryan please—" Heather tried once more.

"Enough! God you kids can be so impossible some days. Heather, to my office now!" Ryan shouted.

Heather breathed in deeply. She tried to send a reassuring look to Naya, but she couldn't even convince herself that everything was going to settle out fine. Heather gently placed Naya's leg down and moved to get up. Before she could tear herself away from Naya's side she bent back down and placed a loving kiss on her cheek. Naya's eyes fluttered closed as she leaned in to those undeniably soft, peachy lips that she loved so much. Naya pressed her forehead against Heather's, not wanting her to leave. She inhaled deeply, taking in that familiar scent of warm honey and maple syrup, a faint smile gracing her lips. Heather reluctantly pulled herself away from the one person she never wanted to leave alone again and looked over to Lea and Dianna.

"Make sure she gets ready okay."

The two both nodded and Heather gave them a small smile. Before she turned away from them she spotted their hands held in a firm clasp. She smiled quietly to herself at the sight. She looked one final time to Naya and even through all this mess she couldn't help but grin to her brightly.

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay."

Naya gave a small smile back. Heather turned and walked briskly after their grumpy boss, ready to defend her story.

_Everything will be okay, _Naya repeated to herself and her smile grew wider at the thought.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N:I so so very much apologize for the TREMENDOUSLY long wait… You can totally yell at me if you want. I deserve it. I'm stupid and decided to take summer quarter thinking I would have tons of time to do whatever still… Worst mistake of my life. Also lj has been exceptionally mean to me. So again, I'm so sorry. You have full right to be angry. A little note, bear with me on this chapter… maybe some cheesy moments if you don't consider/like this fluff!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 19<p>

Heather's ears were ringing. As she stepped out of Ryan's office her head rolled back, eyes fluttering closed in exhaustion. Heather breathed in deeply through her nostrils as the piercing words of her boss continued to sink into her belly, making it churn uncomfortably. Sitting on the curb of the sidewalk, Mark was waiting for her expectantly, an icepack pressed gingerly on his eye. She shuffled quietly over to his side and plopped down on the cement next to him, hugging her knees closer to her body. She peered over to Mark, who was looking out pensively over the lot. His eyes turned to look to her solemnly and she released a sigh of regret.

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled again…

_"I'm sorry! How many times would you like me to apologize? I realize that punching him was not professional at all, but he was intruding on something that was none of his business…" Heather tried to explain again without going into every detail of the past couple months. Heather had never been this pissed off in a long time. Mark was continuing to drown his unimportant words all over her and she had enough of it. Ryan continued to shake his head at the two actors. _

_ "I'm telling you, she made it my business when she came to me last night! I was just trying to do the right thing as a _friend_ and defend her to make sure you didn't hurt her any more than you already did," Mark butted in. All Heather could do was bite her tongue and dig her nails into her wrist to prevent herself from hitting him again. _

_ "Stop… stop…" Ryan sighed. "_You_ need to calm down," Ryan pointed at Mark._

_ "What the hell?" he started to complain, but Ryan simply ignored him and pointed to Heather._

_ "And _you_ need to realize that what you did was a serious offense."_

_ Heather simply nodded quietly. She knew that any act of harassment or violence, physically, verbally, or emotionally was strictly prohibited in the workplace. She should be fired for this, she knew that… but all she could really think about was Naya and how after this she was going to tell her everything… how she had fallen so quickly for her that she didn't even realize when she tripped in the first place. The thought alone made her bite her lower smiling lip. The first time in her entire career on Glee she didn't give a care in the world if she lost her job because she knew it wouldn't be for nothing. _

_ "Heather do you think this is a joke?" Ryan told her seriously and Heather instantly wiped the smitten look off her lips, shaking her head frantically. _

_ "Now, would either of you like to explain who the cause of all this is?" _

_ Both of them remained silent. Neither one of them wanted to put Naya's name forward onto the chopping block. _

_ "Come on… both of you wouldn't shut up minutes ago. Now you choose to be silent?"_

_ They both didn't say a word. Ryan sighed again._

_ "Fine. We don't have time for this right now. Everyone is probably waiting for you on set Heather… and Mark… you shouldn't even fucking be here," Ryan scolded Mark. _

_ "I want you off of this lot in no more than five minutes, you understand me?" Mark simply nodded in compliance. "I'll call you about all the contracts and paperwork for when you're coming back…"_

_ With that Mark scooted his chair back to leave. Heather did the same. _

_ "Where do you think you're going? I need to have another word with you, Heather. Mark, could you please close the door?"_

_ Heather gingerly sank back into her chair, swallowing thickly. Mark turned back and looked to her. Heather couldn't tell if his eyes were staring at her with satisfaction or remorse. She wasn't given a moment to figure it out, as he simply clenched his jaw and opened the door. It slammed loudly behind him. Heather turned back to face her boss. He ran the palm over his head which was slick with perspiration, giving it a nice shiny glow._

_ "You know I'm disappointed in you Heather," he finally said after a few deathly moments of silence._

_ "I know," she quietly replied. _

"_I'm sorry… Really, I am but… I know if we were to rewind this whole thing I still would have done it," she couldn't help but admit truthfully._

_Ryan eyed her dangerously as she continued._

"_I lost control, but I promise… it will not happen again," she told him strongly, looking straight into his eyes._

"_You do realize an offense like this should get _any_ employee fired…" Ryan stated matter-of-factly. Heather nodded, looking down shamefully at her fiddling fingers. _

_Ryan sighed deeply for what seemed like the millionth time and leaned forward to capture the young dancer's attention._

"_Look. I'm glad you came forward and apologized, Heather. But, I want you to realize that this was completely unprofessional. It _should not_ have happened. I do not care what the situation was. However, I would like to believe that whatever the personal reason was that it was enough to jeopardize not only your career but the reputation of the show and cast as well. Because you almost accomplished that today."_

_Heather shuddered silently as his words cut deeply under her skin. She was stupid not to think of not only the consequences for herself, but for the show as well. But then again, she wasn't really thinking at all… which is always a problem. She sighed as she thought of how selfish she had been._

"_We already have enough of a bad reputation as it is with you kids and all your rumors… Think. If there were paparazzi out front snapping pictures of this… I'm honestly surprised there wasn't."_

_Heather simply listened to Ryan, willingly accepting the full reprimand she deserved._

_Ryan's voice calmed considerably as he spoke out to her next, "Last night, we had the second highest viewership since the show first aired. You were trending on Twitter this morning and I'm sure you still are right now…"_

_Heather looked to him and Ryan couldn't help but give a small smile._

"_Critics are raving about you… So I just want you to take a step back and look at things a little more clearly," Ryan told her as he searched deeply into her eyes making her shift uncomfortably in her seat._

"_Whoever or whatever made you hit Mark this morning, is it really worth losing everything for Heather?"_

"…Heather?"

Heather blinked twice and woke up from her slight daze. Her eyes focused more clearly on a slumped Mark.

"What?"

"Don't make me say it again now…" Heather looked back at him blankly while he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You're not the only one who should apologize… I'm sorry for what I said. It was out of line."

He cleared his throat.

"I just… She scared me last night. She's never scared me so much before… I had no idea what to do or how to comfort her… and I wanted to blame someone for how hurt she was. So I… pointed my finger at you," he said looking up to her with his one good eye.

Heather nodded.

"You had all the reason to blame me… You're completely right," Heather said, thinking to herself. "I know I don't deserve her… and I'll be lucky if she even takes me back… But I promise you Mark, the last thing I want to do to her is bring her anymore heartbreak."

Mark simply gave a curt nod in response.

"And… I really am sorry that I punched your eye. I guess I had a lot more rage bottled up in me than I thought," Heather admitted, sincerely apologetic.

"Eh… don't worry about it. I've had worse," Mark chirped. Heather rolled her eyes. "But… uh… you've got a pretty good right hook. Caught me off guard," he coughed.

Heather smiled and shook her head at Mark. They were never close, but she knew he was a nice guy. If Naya dated him, she knew there had to be _something _good about him. With those last words he stood up slowly. He released a deep breath and looked down to Heather one last time.

"So… we're cool?"

Heather nodded, "More or less… as long as you don't try and chase after my girl, we're good."

Mark's eyebrows rose at her choice of words. When Heather realized what she said, she blushed profusely and averted his gaze, but she smiled nonetheless. Mark shrugged.

"I'll never understand you two… You'll always be a mystery to the rest of us."

Heather smiled genuinely

"We're best friends." _With the potential to be more_, Heather chuckled. "What else would you expect?"

If Ryan was pissed, then Zach was out for murder. When Heather finally made it onto set, she made an immediate beeline towards Naya who tried to limp adorably to her. But to Heather's dismay, Zach interceded and dragged her over to help some of the other dancers with the steps and with last minute adjustments. Zach always did this and she had never been this grumpy to dance in her entire life. The number took a total of four takes. So with resetting, touches on makeup and costumes, and having to tear Dianna and Lea apart to sit in their appropriate seats, it was already midday.

When Eric called it a wrap, Heather was notified that they were doing some prep for Rocky Horror. Everyone soon dispersed from the set and Heather escaped to recollect herself. A little tired, Heather made her way off on one of the wings of the auditorium stage. She quickly tore off her hat and wig, while shrugging off bits and pieces of her suit. She was always one to be impatient with getting out of her costumes. After taking a few sips of water she turned to seek out Naya, but the Latina beat her to it.

"Hey…" Naya rasped out breathlessly as she limped over to Heather who was yanking her bowtie off.

Heather couldn't help, but smile weakly to her. Her heart automatically started to beat faster. She met Naya halfway so she wouldn't have to overexert herself. Once Naya reached her, she entangled their fingers together.

"How was it? With Ryan?" Naya asked, big brown eyes all full of concern.

Words echoed in the back of her head:

"_Whoever or whatever made you hit Mark this morning, is it really worth losing everything for Heather?"_

Heather shook her head and tried to smile.

"Everything is fine… don't worry about it," Heather replied weakly. She quickly changed the topic.

"How's the knee, gimpy?" Heather spoke to her softly with that lopsided grin that stole Naya's heart. "I see it got some extra care."

Naya looked down to her wounded leg. Her knee was wrapped with medical gauze, the beige bandage now covered in multicolored Dora the Explorer Band-Aids thanks to Chris. Naya chuckled.

"Yeah, Chris got a little overexcited with the Dora Band-Aids… I guess a little extra tender, lovin' care goes a long way," Naya replied back playfully. Heather managed a little laugh, but she sighed deeply. Naya's tone soon fell as she watched Heather stare at her feet with a guilty expression written on her brow.

"Well, I'm glad you have people who can take care of you when I can't…" she told her quietly, not able to look back up at Naya's eyes. It made the Latina worry.

"Heather… I'm fine," Naya tried softly, trying to get the blonde to look at her, "Come on, Hemo… please look at me."

Heather lifted her head to meet warm chocolate eyes and that beautiful smile. She bit at her lower lip nervously. Heather shook her head in denial, and Naya looked to her in confusion. She cupped her Heather's cheek and forcefully looked into her eyes. When Heather finally looked back, Naya got lost in those blue eyes.

"Heather, stop it. I'm fine now… I've honestly never felt better," she admitted wholeheartedly. Naya's honesty made Heather's heart hurt all the more, knowing what she has done. Naya continued to reassure her, "I know it sounds stupid… but honey, you always make me that way."

Heather gave a watery smile.

"Nothing you say is ever stupid," she whispered back.

Naya's lips spread into the most gorgeous smile Heather had ever seen. The shorter girl looped her arms behind Heather's neck and pulled her forward. Naya's lips met hers as she kissed her softly, Heather eagerly kissing her back as she wrapped her arms around her waist. It felt like reuniting with an old lover… if that made any sense at all. It was as if they had finally made it through some treacherous war or had woken up from a terrible nightmare. It felt like Naya had been away forever and this was the first time she got to kiss her in months. Now they were seeing each other in a new brighter light. It felt wonderful as Heather felt Naya suck on her lower lip.

But Heather still didn't feel right… something was wrong. She felt a heaviness on her chest that she simply could not beat down. It continued to tear away at her heart to the point where she couldn't bear it anymore. She reluctantly broke their kiss in a hurry, taking a marginally good step back, but keeping Naya's hands in her own. Naya looked to her perplexed, breath puffing out thickly from her lips.

"Wha… What's wrong?" she spoke out breathlessly.

Heather searched her brain for a logical answer and ruffled a hand into already messy hair when she couldn't string the words together.

"This… this isn't how it's supposed to be, Naya," she tried to explain.

"What do you mean?" Naya replied; confusion and worry building as she stared back at Heather.

"I just… I… I feel terrible… And I shouldn't feel that way when I'm kissing you…"

Naya winced and crossed her arms over her chest as her face fell.

"So, what now? You regret what happened last night…" Naya quietly suggested trying to get some sort of answer.

"No, no! Well, yes… I… Last night sucked… stuff didn't go exactly how I expected…" Heather tried, mixing up her words which only made Naya retreat even more. "Ugh… that's not how it was supposed to come out. It's just…"

Heather looked to Naya, wishing she could just read her mind so she could understand. Heather sighed.

"I hurt you, Nay… I hurt you so badly…" Heather choked out. Naya let her defenses down, letting her arms fall to her sides as she looked to Heather lovingly.

"Heather… It's okay. I'm fine, really… Look at me," she said gesturing to herself, "I'm standing here completely healthy. Sure, I got a little scruff on the knee, but—"

"No," Heather said firmly. "I _really_ fucked up this time… I mean you should hate me! How could you not possibly be angry?" she looked to Naya in disbelief. "You're amazing, Naya. I think you're perfect. But no way in hell would someone not be pissed or at least slightly frustrated by what I did to you last night."

Heather thought back to Mark's words and Nate's words and Ryan's words. They all piled on top of each other, making her feel so small and unsure of herself. She couldn't hurt Naya again. Naya sighed and looked to Heather somberly.

"Sure, Hemo… yah I'm angry and confused… and you're right. Last night was awful," Naya agreed. Heather didn't speak; she just stared at her feet guiltily. Naya continued.

"When you told me you wanted me to leave, that it was all a mistake… my heart broke a million times over again," Naya's head pounded recalling the events again from last night, "I hated myself for not thinking things through… I hated Nate for interrupting a moment I've been waiting years for… I hated you…"

Heather shrank under Naya's painful words, tears inevitably brimming her eyes.

Naya almost choked as she spoke out to Heather, "I hated you for giving up on us so easily. I hate you for having such a strong hold on me that I can't think or function rationally around you."

Naya paused sucking a deep breath in, "I hate all these things you make me feel, Heather, because you _always_ make me feel like I have no control over anything. All this running around in circles… I'm sick of it. Finally, when I'm ready to stop running, you start sprinting away at full speed."

"I know…" Heather finally whispered out and Naya's lips twitched to the side. She looked to Heather lovingly. But Heather didn't see it as she looked down and fiddled with her fingers. She had this horrible feeling in her gut that Naya was ending this before anything actually began.

"Is this really what you want to hear, Heather?" Naya told her softly as she approached the blonde cautiously. "Because to me… none of that matters anymore. When I look at you, honestly, I could care less about what happened last night. You do that to me… if it were any other person, I would give them hell. But for you… I'd give up everything."

"_Whoever or whatever made you hit Mark this morning, is it really worth losing everything for Heather?"_

"Yes…" Heather answered out quietly to herself.

"What did you say?" Naya asked, looking at Heather's glazed eyes. Heather shook her head and waved it away.

"I didn't want you to leave…" Heather barely managed above a whisper. Naya smiled. "The second, I pushed you out that door I immediately regretted it… I was so stupid, Nay."

Tears were beginning to fall freely down Heather's pink, puffy cheeks. Naya quickly cupped her faced and wiped them away with the soft pads of her thumbs; the way Heather imagined she would have done last night.

"Hey… it's okay…" Naya whispered.

"But it's not…" Naya frowned. "I-I just didn't want you to get hurt. God knows what Nate would have done if you stayed… I know he'd never hurt anyone, but I'm sure the most genuine guys in the world would still be pissed off if they caught their girlfriend practically doing it with another girl…"

Naya's eyes scrunched, "You said he didn't hurt you, Hemo—"

"And he didn't," Naya looked at Heather not completely convinced, "Not physically anyways… I promise he didn't. You would know if I were lying…"

Naya sighed and let Heather continue, not letting her go.

"The fact is, Naya… even though I was trying so hard to protect you, I went out and hurt you anyways. I don't want to be that one who breaks your heart over and over…"

"Heather, stop," Naya shushed her with her finger. "Trust me… I'm a big girl. I knew this wasn't going to be easy… I never said it was going to be. I can take a little heartbreak."

"That's the thing… you shouldn't have to," Heather murmured.

Naya sighed, "This isn't something you should be afraid of…"

"I'm not scared anymore… I just don't wanna hurt you again… Mark said—"

Naya furrowed her eyebrows in frustration when Heather brought up her ex's name, "Heather, fuck Mark. I could care less about what he thinks. Remember what I told you? Screw what other people tell you, Hemo."

Heather looked down at the floor at Naya's white sneaker clad feet and her own shiny dance shoes.

Naya let out a shaky breath as she spoke out her next words hesitantly, "You told me yesterday that you want to be with me…"

Heather looked back up at Naya, her big brown eyes hopeful. Heather smiled shyly and gave a quiet nod. Naya's lips twitched into a smile as Heather's eyes glimmered. She pulled Heather down and rested their foreheads gently against each other, her fingers playing with strands of golden hair.

"Then… just be with me…" Naya whispered against Heather's smiling lips.

This time, Heather leaned forward and closed the centimeter gap between their parted lips, relishing the feel of kissing Naya. Kissing Naya this way made those heavy weights lift off her chest and she could breathe again. She smiled happily and squeezed Naya tighter, quietly promising she would never let go. They stayed like that, nipping at each other's lips and giggling into open mouth kisses. Heather broke the kiss again, this time reluctantly.

"Wait…" Heather whispered.

"Now what's wrong?" Naya sighed, not letting Heather out of her grasp.

"No, no… it's nothing like that. I just…" Heather looked deeply into Naya's eyes which were staring intently back at her. "I want to do this right."

Heather spoke with confidence as she took Naya's arms from behind her neck and held them loosely in her hands. Naya looked at her with worried eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Naya cocked her head to the side.

"I want this relationship to work, Nay. I don't wanna rush things," Heather said, beginning to blush slightly as she cleared her throat. "Don't laugh at me okay?"

Naya quirked an eyebrow as a curious smile spread on her lips, "I won't."

"You may think it's cheesy… but I want to take things slow. I've been doing a lot of thinking ever since that night on the sidewalk… maybe a little too much thinking," Heather rambled, "But I want to do the stupid TV show, romantic comedy crap we make fun of… You know, the first date, first kiss whole thing."

Naya smiled at the bashful blonde in front of her, squeezing her hands.

"Hemo, we already covered probably more than half of those firsts…" Naya commented, with that wide knowing smile.

"I know, I know. But I want those little things with you. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've been thinking about it too hard, but I want to be one of those annoying couples who make out when their waiting in line for rollercoasters at theme parks. I want to eventually be able to hold your hand while we go shopping or go out for dinner or wherever… I want to take those awkward Christmas card pictures with you and send them out to our families," Heather said, blushing furiously. Naya bit at her smiling lips as Heather mentioned the last one because she would _so_ want to take Christmas card pictures with her.

"I just want to ask you out on a proper date… and stuff. Ya know what I'm saying right?" Heather asked, begging Naya to end her dorky rambling.

"Of course, Hemo," Naya chuckled out, leaning into the blonde dancer's tall frame, tucking blonde hair behind her ear, "We can go as slow as you want."

"And also… everyone else…" Heather began.

"No one needs know until we're ready."

Heather smiled appreciatively. Naya leaned up and placed a quick kiss to Heather's lips. She smiled brightly. Naya smiled and shook her head.

"So when exactly is this first date going to be?" Naya asked jokingly, wishing the blonde would just ask her out now.

"Sooner than you think," Heather replied with a cocky grin as they began walking off the set and back to their trailers. "But it'll feel like forever if you're not patient..."

Naya rolled her eyes as Heather intertwined their fingers together while they walked back to Naya's trailer together.


	20. Chapter 20

Title: I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Rating: R<br>Summary: She had become an expert at putting on a face when she was around Heather. Naya just hoped it was enough for people not to realize it, because honestly Heather was wearing her down.  
>Pairings: NayaHeather, Other: Heather/OC, Naya/Mark, Side Dianna/Lea  
>Disclaimer: I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.<br>Spoilers: Season 1 and Season 2  
>Word Count: ~6,700<br>Warning: Angst

A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! I got caught up with The Latte Girl and when I read back on this chapter, I decided I wanted to revamp it and go in a different/better direction. So here's the final product! I hope you all enjoy. Thank you all for the comments so far. All the new readers, it's glad to hear from you. And to the old, it's always a pleasure to know you're still sticking with me. I apologize in advanced for some horribly mean teasing on my part... :D Happy reading!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Chapter 20<p>

It had been two weeks… two weeks of utter bliss. Well, it wasn't _exactly_ the kind of bliss Naya was hoping for, but she would take all that Heather had to give. Their "first date" had been simple and sincere. There was nothing more Naya could ask for. It was perfect… Not to mention Heather was simply adorable when she asked her.

"_It's nothing fancy. Just you, me, and food… I think it's the best date ever."_

"_Hemo, if that's your idea of a first date, then we've already been on like a million of them by now," Naya pointed out as they sat on the floor of the tinshed. Heather was casually helping Naya stretch her sore leg that was still mangled and beaten from the other day when she had fallen ever so gracefully down her trailer. They were taking a short break from their Time Warp rehearsals. _

"_Well, this time it's different. We didn't used to kiss and stuff before did we?" Heather claimed with a raised eyebrow. Naya's heart hammered at the innuendo. Heather simply smiled at Naya's silent response and continued. _

"_Oh and by the way… I don't really consider this our first…" Heather admitted quietly. "Remember that day you took me to the beach?"_

_Naya cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes at Heather, immediately remembering that day. She instantly smiled and Heather blushed under her gaze._

"_Really?" Naya whispered, "That… that was ages ago… I didn't even know you remembered."_

"_How could I forget? It was like one of the best days ever," she replied almost immediately. Heather coughed a little as she went back to massaging Naya's calf. "Yeah… Just thought you would want to know."_

_Naya simply smiled to her, her stomach doing weird acrobatics in her tummy._

"_Anyways," Heather continued, brushing off her evident embarrassment. "I feel like this week has been super long and stressful for the both of us... To say the least. All I wanted to do tonight really was just veg-out…" Heather admitted. "But you're like my ultimate veg-out partner. So I'm just calling this our first date because it's an excuse to spend time with you."_

_Naya chuckled at Heather's sweetness. They still were best friends after all. Heather couldn't think of a better way to spend her Friday night than dishing out on Chinese take-out with her favorite person in the world. Heather returned bashful as she watched her fingers run over smooth, tan skin. _

"_And I know it might be a bit fast to ask you out so soon and all… given everything that happened Tuesday night. You can totally say no if—"_

"_No!" Naya interrupted quickly and Heather looked up to her in surprise. "I mean, yes! Yes, I would absolutely love to go 'out' with you tonight."_

_Naya air quoted, and Heather smiled brightly._

Naya rolled her eyes as she thought back to that conversation. Heather had been so nervous she could tell, but it made her fall in love with her all over again if that was possible. The night was purely innocent… much to Naya's disliking, but Heather and her charming self always won her heart over. She left that evening with the most amazing "first kiss" Naya had ever had…At first, Heather kissed her lips softly and chastely, but the both couldn't resist it any longer and it ended up being a good fifteen minute make-out session. Come on now… you can't blame them? She still gets chills when she thinks about it, but she couldn't help but think that Heather was being a tease leaving her all hot and bothered after something like _that_.

Naya felt like they were back in the 1800s or something with Heather… the girl was seriously courting her around. Heather was being nothing but the best gentlewoman, yet all Naya wanted Heather to do was throw her down on the nearest surface and have her way with her. She wasn't going to lie… she did like being treated like a lady sometimes. It was definitely a refreshing change from Mark…

However, time after time again, Naya was starting to hate it, until she finally got Heather to loosen up a tad and got to skim needy fingers over pale skin every once and awhile. This only seemed to worsen their problem. Heather was _always _touching her fleetingly… it was as if she wasn't aware of the effect it was having on the suffering Latina. Naya knew that she always had been like this in the past, but now that they were together it felt like it escalated to whole different level.

Naya would literally pounce her and cover that amazingly butter soft skin with kisses. She would have Heather moaning in seconds… With a response like that, Naya knew that she wanted it just as bad. Still. Naya doesn't know where she get it's from, but this girl constantly manages to muster an impossible amount of willpower to push her away with breathless words and darkened eyes; having to remind her for the billionth time that they should 'take it slow'. And when Heather asked to take it slow, she _really_ meant take it slow… Naya had never been more sexually frustrated in her entire life. Here was a ridiculously hot, blonde dancer, whom she's been in love with for the past two years always constantly pressed against her side and she still can't catch a break. Yes… it was definitely frustrating… to say the least. Naya sighed. At least she had her, she shouldn't be asking for more and with that she smiled to herself.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing," Naya quickly replied.

Lea's fingers thrummed over her coffee cup that contained some sort of super healthy tea that Naya could not last on in the mornings. They were walking together over to the set to shoot the "Hot Patootie" number with John Stamos. Filming the Rocky Horror episode had been probably one of the most stressful episodes they've had to film yet. She was exhausted to say the least. The shorter brunette eyed her inquisitively. Naya felt uncomfortable under the heavy gaze.

"What?" Naya shrugged as she continued to walk casually. Suddenly she felt a slight tug on her arm as Lea pulled her into a dead stop. Naya looked to her friend quizzically and she had to admit, timidly.

Lea pointed her finger at Naya's nose and squinted her eyes at her with a matching devilish smirk.

"I know you're hiding something Naya Rivera and it's going to come out of you sooner or later!" Lea all but wailed out at her with a serious tone. Naya had to lean back, and hold back a snort at the determined girl in front of her.

Naya couldn't help, but smile at her ridiculous friend. It was true, she was hiding something, but she had promised Heather they would wait to tell anyone anything before they were ready. She took Lea's vice grip off her wrist and held her hand lovingly in hers.

"Oh honey… I think you've been Time Warping a little too much today," Naya joked.

Lea snatched her hand away and further proceeded to point at her accusingly. Naya simply watched, completely amused.

"Don't you go thinking you can fool me. I know there's something going on with you. You are smiling _way_ too much for my liking…" She had a very valid point. These days, Naya was all smiles.

"And this is a bad thing because…?" Naya asked. Lea leaned back, crossing her arms across her chest with a pout. Naya smiled and shook her head.

"It's nothing you should bother your mind with, little Lea," Naya told her while she tried to pull her into an affectionate hug. Lea simply wriggled out of her embrace, mumbling something to herself.

"Nay!"

Naya turned to that voice she's got memorized better than her own. Her face upturned into an impossibly wider grin. Heather was on her bike, with a cheery matching smile on her face. She rang the bell on the handle like a contented child and waved her fingers at her while she slowed to a stop. Naya waved back and started towards her favorite blonde in the entire world.

She turned back to the tiny brunette who was still brooding over the Latina's mood.

"Don't worry. You'll find out eventually," Naya teased, although she did hope Heather would be ready to tell more people soon.

When Naya reached Heather, the blonde greeted her by taking her hand discretely with her fingers and giving the smallest squeeze before quickly letting go. Heather beamed down to Naya before she looked over to Lea and gave a big wave.

"Hey, Lea!"

"Hmph," Lea grunted, before she quickly stalked off to Dianna who just rounded the corner. The blonde looked up from her phone confused as the small brunette tugged her away.

Heather frowned as she raised the sunglasses covering her eyes to rest on the crown of her head. Naya simply shook her head at the diva knowingly.

"What's up with her?" Heather asked with a pout.

"Just ignore her… she's getting a little suspicious that's all. But it's Lea… no one will really believe what she says," Naya joked sarcastically.

"Oh…" Heather said in realization.

"Don't worry though," Naya said hurriedly, "I pointed her in a different direction. I don't think she'll suspect anything more… Like we said before, we will—"

"It's okay, Naya," Heather calmed her down, smiling brightly at her. She rubbed that teasing hand soothingly up and down Naya's upper arm. Naya smiled to her blonde contentedly.

"Besides, like you said it's just Lea… I don't think she'll do us any harm if she did know," Heather reasoned. Naya nodded at Heather's progress.

"Exactly, she's our friend."

Heather nodded enthusiastically. The blonde's eyes darted around set briefly before, she quickly bent down and gave Naya a light little mouse kiss on her lips. Naya's eyes widened momentarily in surprise, but she was still smiling widely at Heather's bold, uncharacteristic move. Maybe she was becoming more comfortable with the idea of them being together?

"Heather!" she hissed as she too whipped her head around the momentarily empty lot.

"Sorry… couldn't help myself," she husked as she took Naya's arm that she was still holding and interlaced it with her own. Naya shuttered unconsciously by the sound of Heather's voice. Oh how she wished she could hear that voice in a different setting… The blonde smirked knowingly at the look in the Latina's eyes. Heather lowered her sunglasses back over her twinkling blue eyes as they began to walk in sync together towards the set.

* * *

><p>Naya giggled as Heather walked her index and middle fingers up the inside of her forearm. Heather's face scrunched up adorably as she watched Naya laugh freely. They sat next to each other during a set change as the crew was resetting the cameras for another take. Little did they know that Lea was eying them from her little corner in the back. The brunette knew something was up between them… it was pretty darn obvious that Heather and Naya were even closer than before, if that was possible.<p>

Everyone was aware that Heather and Nate were not together anymore, but the blonde didn't delve into the details and in response everyone respected her privacy. All they knew was that they were on a break. But both Lea and Dianna knew better. There _was_ a change, but knowing how much Naya has wanted something to happen they didn't want to call the two out. They both mutually agreed that if there was in fact something going on, they didn't want to disrupt their happy friends.

Dianna nudged Lea playfully as she saw that familiar look in her eyes. She patted her nose, reminding her of their agreement. Lea sighed and mentally wished the two would just come out with it. No one would care…

"Who cares?" Heather giggled in Naya's ear. Heather was trying to fight Naya for her phone as she was annoyingly tapping away at it when she was trying to get her attention.

"I do!" she exclaimed with a wide smile. Then she lowered her voice for only Heather to hear, "I'm not gonna just let you go through my phone…"

"Why not? It's not like you haven't let me before," Heather reasoned with a puzzled brow. "Do you have dirty pictures on there or somethin'?"

Naya blushed and shifted slightly uncomfortably. Heather's eyes widened playfully in shock at her response.

"Do you?" she giggled.

"No!" Naya finally exclaimed. She really didn't, but she should remember to clear her history sometime… She was guilty of looking up those nude pictures of Heather that she took before Glee when she was doing some modeling. _They were artistic okay?_ She mentally excused herself, but she blushed shamefully.

Heather continued to giggle at her.

"So then why are you suddenly so protective, missy? We practically share everything."

"I know… It's just… You're going to make fun of me…" Naya said as she looked back down at her phone at the words she just wrote.

"How would you know? I've surprised you before haven't I?" Heather told her sweetly and Naya smiled bashfully. "Oh just show me…"

Naya rolled her eyes as she gave in and passed her phone. Heather scrolled her thumb over the screen to brighten it and her eyes widened again dramatically as they fell on the site Naya was on.

"Twitter?" she exclaimed and Naya shook her head and smiled knowingly. Heather dropped the Latina's phone back quickly into her lap as if it carried some sort of disease.

"Told ya so…" Naya said knowingly as she chuckled along with Heather.

"I just don't get why you guys are all obsessed with that thing… It's weird that everyone knows where you are and what you're doing…" Heather said with a frown as she glared at the device that still lay in Naya's lap.

"It's not gonna bite you," Naya taunted. "I like keeping close touch with the fans… they're really sweet sometimes…" she reasoned with a smile, and Heather squeezed her knee affectionately.

"Well, as long as they keep their contact online only … I don't like the thought of sharing you with too many people," Heather husked and Naya smiled shyly at the protective blonde.

"Okay, everyone back into places please! We're ready!" their director, Adam Shankman, shouted out to the cast.

Heather gave Naya one last look as the stroked her fingers lightly with her own and got up to go to her spot in the front row. Naya smiled to her warmly, excited to dance with her again in the number. Before she left, Heather leaned back and whispered one last thing in the Latina's ear.

"By the way, I'm pretty excited for the episode tonight too."

Heather's smiling lips grazed the edge of Naya's ear ever so slightly. With that Heather hopped down to her seat brightly. The small touch caused the skin of Naya's neck to dot with goosebumps. Her grin was so large her cheeks could barely contain it. See? She was happy and she felt like there wasn't anything that could make her feel otherwise. Her relationship with Heather certainly wasn't perfect… They may not be as intimate as she would like and she may dislike the fact that they can't tell their friends, but honestly? None of that mattered, because being with Heather made up for absolutely everything.

She looked down at her phone at the Tweet she just sent out to her fans.

_Really excited for everyone to see "duets" tonight! _

She certainly was excited for everyone to see it, herself included… Watching the premiere of this episode tonight was going to be different than the one two weeks prior. Hopefully there won't be any unfortunate interruptions or any annoying third parties tonight. It was just going to be her alone with her girl. She smiled over to Heather who leaned back in her chair and made a silly cross-eyed face at her. She chuckled lovingly.

_Yeah… definitely can't wait for tonight…_

* * *

><p>Naya couldn't help but be a little nervous. She knew it was just Heather, but she still wanted to look good for her girl. She was ruffling through her entire wardrobe, throwing about several articles of clothing and not managing to find anything suitable to impress Heather however subtly. She knew she shouldn't, but she was hoping that tonight she could maybe get a little more out of Heather than a few groping touches here and there.<p>

_In your dreams…_ that little Lea voice popped back up in the back of her head.

She sighed in annoyance as she tossed another shirt over her shoulder and rested her hands on her bare hips.

As she stood in front of her closet for a good fifteen minutes she finally gave up. Naya nodded to herself, realizing that Heather is the last person in the world who would care what she wore. With that, she settled on her favorite charcoal, cotton shirt and one of her many washed out, cutoff jean shorts. Naya glanced at her phone, eyes jutting open at the time. Heather would be there any second. She looked at herself over one more time in the mirror, ruffling a hand through her hair. Naya hurried around her room, messily tossing all the strewn about clothing that was littered on her bed back into her closet. She hated making a mess, but she rather have a clean bed… _it's just in case, ya know?_ Naya reasoned with a cheeky grin, ignoring that scoff in the back of her head that had permanently sounded like Lea's. As she smoothed out her comforter, her foot stepped lightly on lace and padding. She looked down.

"Fuck," Naya picked up her bra that had fallen on the floor, bringing her hand to her chest and realizing she forgot to put it on. Just as she was about to raise her shirt above her head to put it on, a light knocking sounded against her front door.

"Uh…" she stood in the middle of her room dumbly, before she decided to toss her bra in the closet with the rest of her clothes. _Whatever… she won't notice. _She bounded out of her room towards the door. She whipped it open in excitement.

Heather stood cutely in the doorframe, holding two plastic bags filled with Styrofoam boxes of take-out from that Mediterranean place the two loved and had a huge grin on her face. She wore the same outfit she had on this morning. A loose fitting, black and white knitted sweater top that cropped short so Naya could see a peek of the white creamy flesh of her midriff and a pair of skinny jeans. Naya bit her lower lip unconsciously.

"Hi… I brought the…" Heather started, but got distracted by Naya's chest. She gulped at the sight of Naya's nipples poking through the thin material. _Oh fuck…_ she thought, her mind echoing with Ashley's voice.

"_You excited to get laid tonight?" Ashley asked bluntly as she flounced onto Heather's bed. The blonde choked and coughed out by the question._

"_What? N-No!" Heather spluttered nervously._

"_Really? Because I would be bouncing off the walls right now… and I'm all about the boys. But Naya?" Ashley fanned herself for emphasis, "You have to be at least a little excited…"_

"_Ashley. How many times do I have to tell you? We decided we wanted to take it slow," Heather told her roommate pointedly. Ashley furrowed her eyebrows in complete confusion._

"_Hon… it's been like three weeks now? And you still haven't slept with her?"_

"_It's only been two actually," Heather pointed out as she applied a little lip balm to her lips._

"_Whatever… what difference does it make? I'm surprised you guys didn't do it on the first night… Point is the poor girl is probably dying." _

_Heather rolled her eyes. _

"_You're over exaggerating…"_

"_Please… I bet you a million dollars she's sexually frustrated as hell. I mean aren't you?" Ashley asked in disbelief._

"_Well, of course I want to! Who would I be if I didn't? Have you seen her body?"_

"_Mhm… there's the Heather I know…" Ashley told her with a satisfied smirk. Heather sighed._

"_I just don't want her to feel like it's just about the physical aspect of it all… I mean, yah that's important, but I'm in for the long run okay?" Heather justified as she popped a piece of gum in her mouth._

_Ashley put her hands up in forfeit._

"_Okay, okay… Understandable. But I'm gonna warn you."_

"_What?" Heather asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she awaited whatever brilliant advice Ashley had to give her._

"_Have a good time trying to restrain yourself from that ass…" _

Heather stood there, palms starting to sweat and her mind completely blank except for very vivid images of Naya's body in several suggestive positions. She absolutely hated Ashley for being right. She hadn't realized _how_ she had been keeping herself from doing Naya this whole time as she looked at the girl in the front door of her humble abode. Heather knew it was hitting her hard now because of how long they've been waiting. At this point she knew she was screwed… completely screwed.

"Um… Heather?" Naya finally said, trying to get her attention. Heather blinked out of her thoughts and her smile returned back to her face, albeit it was a nervous one.

"Hi."

"You already said that, Hemo," Naya chuckled, as she saw Heather's line of view. _Maybe not wearing a bra was a smart move after all…_ Naya smiled coyly and she did her best to work the weakening blonde.

"Yeah… right…" Heather blushed. She breathed in deeply, mentally knocking some sense into herself. _Control your impulses!_

"So, comida?" she suggested innocently, raising the plastic bags.

"Yes, I'm starving," Naya replied letting Heather in.

"But first things first," Heather said with a smile. She grabbed Naya's hand and placed a light kiss on her lips. The tall blonde hummed contentedly, giving Naya a smile and then prodded over to the kitchen. Naya still holding the doorknob, blushed profusely.

"Yup! Tonight is definitely gonna be awesome!" Heather teasingly called over her shoulder.

Naya closed the door quietly, taking a moment to lean back against it. She pressed a palm against her burning cheek, her smile unbreakable. She felt like a stupid teenager again, receiving her first kiss; her tummy all butterflies. She knew it has been two weeks now, but for a second it all felt a little unreal; like she was again making up this fantasy where Heather and her were together and all… coupley. She shook her head vigorously and when she found she didn't wake up, her smile got impossibly larger.

"Nay! If you don't get over here, there's not gonna be anything left for you!" Heather called out to the Latina. Naya smiled as she lifted herself from the door and chased Heather into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Oh god… I'm pretty sure my four pack has permanently turned into a two pack," Naya groaned as she tossed an empty carton of what used to be a large portion of perfectly barbequed chicken kebabs, buttery rice pilaf, and fluffy pita bread back on the coffee table. She snuggled back into Heather's side and the blonde poked her nose with the blunt end of one of her finished skewers, while she absentmindedly chewed on another.<p>

"Oh shut up. You _definitely_ have six pack," Heather scoffed.

Naya stared up at her, "Last time I checked, I'm pretty sure I didn't. You know I hate crunches… Besides how would you know?"

"Naya, when have we ever been shy on showing skin around each other? Last time _I_ checked, which was this morning, I'm pretty sure you had a six pack," Heather giggled.

Naya quirked a suggestive eyebrow up, "Hm, maybe you should check again?"

Heather felt her face grow hot. The past hour or so had been utter torment for the poor blonde, dancer. Everything was going fine at first. They were about half an hour into the episode by now and the two gave lighthearted commentary throughout. Heather made fun of how Naya was evidently disappointed on how their bed scene turned out… The Latina pouted cutely over how much was cut out. They made fun of Chord's Avatar lines and Heather swooned over Naya's singing and dancing during River Deep Mountain High.

But as the episode progressed, so did the amount of wine and food that was consumed. Heather was having the hardest time preventing herself from pouncing the Latina. Naya kept sending her suggestive comments just like this one, and her non-bra clad self was not helping the situation at all. Heather swore she was doing this just to test her limits.

Heather simply laughed awkwardly in response to Naya's latest question and kissed her chastely on the lips, much to the Latina's disappointment. The past hour or so for Naya had been pure torment as well, but for a slightly different reason. Naya's body was buzzing with sexual frustration. She looked down at her tan fingers playing with the hem on Heather's sweater, slightly skimming the pads of them over the creamy exposed flesh. When she looked up back at Heather, the girl's face was unresponsive to her touches. Naya huffed. Yes… it was definitely frustrating… to say the least.

Heather began to snigger loudly as the scene switched to the one of her and Kevin in Brittany's very floral room.

"Oh God… I completely forgot about this scene…" Heather laughed, covering her eyes in embarrassment, while Naya simply watched quietly.

Naya's eyes never left the screen as she too began to laugh along with the blonde as Heather's cheerleading costumed self on screen picked up Kevin like a baby doll. The two were in fits as they watched Heather carry him to the bed.

"Oh my God! How in the friggen world did you guys keep straight faces during that?" Naya snorted, wiping the tears coming out of her eyes.

"I honestly have no idea how they found a good take. We were laughing the entire time… You know how sore my arms were the next day! We had to do it like five times…" Heather told her as Naya continued to laugh out heartily. The blonde marveled how gorgeous that laugh sounded.

"Seriously… that's perfection right there…" Naya said between wheezes. "That's how every girl should seduce the person they like into sleeping with them: pick them up and literally carry them into the bed."

Heather smiled lovingly at the girl in her arms, "I know right? Brittany wouldn't have done it any other way…"

"Wonder if she's just as creative with Santana?" Naya implied with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…" Heather started, "W-Who knows? Maybe we'll eventually find out?"

Naya turned back to the screen, her lips turned up in a smirk, "Yeah, hopefully we will…"

Her smirk soon turned into a thin line as she watched Heather duck her head to meet Kevin's lips. She wasn't normally the jealous type or anything, but Jesus… her bee was getting more action from the girl she was with than she was. I mean come on! Heather was freakin' straddling him! Not to mention, during their scene, they couldn't even lie on top of each other or really kiss on camera. She fumed.

Heather looked to Naya with a furrowed brow.

"You okay?"

"Mhm… just looks like Kevin is getting a little ahead of himself…" Naya mumbled.

Heather chuckled, "Someone seems a little jealous?"

"I'm not…" Naya defended, crossing her arms over her chest and Heather smiled to her knowingly.

"Sure..."

Naya rolled her eyes.

"I'm not! Well, I mean who wants to see their girlfriend making out with another guy?" Naya justified, but then her breath caught as she realized what she had just said. She studied Heather's reaction, but expression remained impartial. True, it has been two weeks since they've been together, but neither of them had officially stated that they were girlfriends. They didn't want to rush things and determining the status of the relationship fell under that definition.

"Not that I'm putting a label on our relationship or anything," Naya quickly added.

Heather patted her thigh and gave her a comforting smile.

"I… I kinda like it… Besides, I always love it when you make things official," Heather told her simply and she returned her gaze to the screen. Naya bit at her ever-growing smile.

"_Awww! You said we're best friends?" the blonde wrapped her arms around the surprised Latina, engulfing her with her warm embrace. "I love it when you make things official…"_

That moment felt like forever ago, now here they were, declaring a different kind of official. Naya couldn't believe how much things have changed… for the better. Heather turned back to Naya as the screen broke into another commercial.

"What are you smiling at?" Heather questioned curiously.

Naya didn't even try to stop the next words that came from her lips, "You know I love you right?"

Heather's lips spread into a goofy grin as she leaned forward and nodded enthusiastically. She captured Naya's lips with her own with the intention of it being a short, sweet kiss simply to remind her how much she loved her too; however Naya took the upper hand. She fisted Heather's sweater and pulled her closer, the blonde grunted by the motion. Naya deepened the kiss, longing to finish what they started the night of the Britney/Brittany episode. Heather couldn't help herself as she moaned into Naya's mouth, it was impossible not to. Those lips… those inhumanely soft lips were impossible to stop kissing. The aching in Heather's body that was shouting to be put out of its misery, forced Naya back against the couch. Naya smiled into Heather's eager lips, as the tall blonde straddled her hips just as she had on screen with Kevin.

Naya sucked on Heather's lower lip, relishing the feel of that wonderful pink flesh between her teeth. Heather sighed as her hands betrayed her and began to wander about Naya's body. She broke the kiss, leaving both of them panting for air. Heather began to nip and suck at the smooth curvature of Naya's neck, leaving the poor Latina moaning out her name. Frantically, Heather's palms found their way under the brunette's thin cotton shirt, making it rise and expose Naya's taught stomach. _That Mediterranean food definitely had no effect on her abs_… Heather thought as her fingertips traced the slight dips and ripples of toned muscle.

Naya felt as Heather's fingers paved a burning path on her skin, making her chest heave in uneven, ragged breaths. Heather ducked down and placed feather light kisses against the luscious, soft skin of Naya's lower stomach.

"Oh… H-Heather…" Naya moaned softly as she ran her fingers through blonde hair.

The sensation Heather's lips against the sensitive skin there was overwhelming. Heather needing to taste salty skin, fluttered her tongue just below her girlfriend's bellybutton. Naya's body bowed up in search for more contact. The brunette could already feel her arousal traveling down between her thighs and her nipples harden instinctively in response to Heather's touches.

"Heather…" Naya moaned again and Heather resurfaced to take Naya's lips up.

Seeking some sort of pressure, Heather couldn't help herself as she began to rock her hips melodically into Naya's. The girl below her gasped audibly into Heather's mouth as a rhythm was formed. Naya groaned in pleasure as she gripped Heather's waist and squeezed her ass playfully. The blonde dancer moved their bodies together in perfect timing. Heather was pretty confident she could get off by just some dry humping at this point as she whimpered under Naya's jawline…

"Nay…" she husked, eyes squeezed shut.

Naya's toying fingers played along the waistband of Heather's skinny jeans, fiddling with the button. She traveled lower and Naya didn't even hesitate to rub her palm gently in between the heat of Heather's quivering thighs. Heather choked on the air in her lungs before she shuttered and moaned helplessly into Naya's neck, continuing to ravish the skin there with her lips in appreciation for the pressure. Her breath was ragged and uncontrolled as Naya continued to cup, palm, and squeeze at Heather's aching mound; her ministrations were torturing the blonde to no end. As Heather's hands continued to move up, her long fingers just barely grazed the undersides of Naya's bare breasts, causing the Latina to uncontrollably buck her hips forward. Naya's thigh came up against the back of her hand which was starting to trace amazing patterns into the blonde's sex.

Heather paused. Her eyes shot open as she realized what she was doing… she was breaking her stupid rule…

"Heather… please don't stop…" Naya begged breathlessly, eyes still squeezed tight and chest heaving.

Heather panted heavily as her mind seriously contemplated whether she should give in and ravish Naya like there was no tomorrow… or do the proper, chivalrous thing and back off. Heather swallowed thickly as she looked down at the hottest thing she's ever seen wriggling underneath her. She mentally berated herself, sighing as she was completely annoyed with her choice. Heather slipped her hands back from under Naya's shirt causing the girl to flutter her eyes open in confusion. Heather automatically hated herself for not having morals more like Ashley's right now.

Naya's puzzled brown eyes looked over Heather's flushed face. Heather simply leaned back down and placed a light, loving kiss to her lips before moving out of her position from on top of Naya. Heather gingerly got back up to her previous spot on the other side of the couch, creating a much needed distance from the incredibly tempting Latina.

"Heather?" Naya questioned, sitting up on the couch and watching the blonde intently.

"Don't wanna miss the episode…" Heather murmured regretfully as she turned back to face the television. Naya brought her knees up to her chest, hugging herself.

"Did… did I do something wrong?" she asked hesitantly. Heather quickly turned back to Naya who looked tiny on her couch.

"No! No… you definitely did absolutely nothing wrong… That was…" Heather gulped at the sensation and damp evidence of her arousal that was still left between her thighs, "really amazing."

"Then… why did you stop?" Naya said, taking Heather's hand, "I didn't want you to stop."

At this point Naya didn't really care if she was being forward or not. Heather raked a worried hand through tangled, sex-hair. She exhaled slowly.

"Nay… as tempting as that sounds, I shouldn't," Heather told her and she frowned disappointedly. "It's because I made this really fucking, stupid promise to myself that I wouldn't have sex with you until..."

Heather's mind wandered as she thought exactly what they were waiting for again… Until they were ready? Because obviously… they were both perfectly ready. Heather knew it was just her fear of hurting the small girl in front of her. She wanted to protect her heart after what she put Naya through, not break it the first chance she's got it in her hands. She didn't want to do anything they would both later regret.

Naya seemed to understand the predicament the blonde was in and she couldn't help but smile at Heather's need to stay all gentlemanlike. She rubbed soothing circles into Heather's thigh, although Heather thought they were anything but soothing. As she watched Naya's hand, she scorned her decision…

"Now that I think back on it, it really was a fucking stupid idea…" Heather mumbled, thinking aloud. "Shoulda listened to Ashley…"

Naya smiled at Heather who continued to mentally berating herself.

"It's okay, Heather…" Naya finally said. "You told me you wanted to take it slow… So, we'll take it slow. But just because you don't want to sleep with me tonight, doesn't mean you can't stay over," Naya suggested hopefully.

"It's not like we haven't slept over in each other's beds without doing anything," she added.

Heather looked down at Naya, her nipples still peeking through that damn shirt.

"Yeah… definitely not a good idea," Heather concluded bluntly making Naya frown. "I'm gonna be totally honest here… I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to last five minutes in bed with you tonight if I did stay over. Your nipples are really not helping at all."

Naya snorted as she looked down at her chest. She crossed her arms over her cleavage.

"Better?"

"Yes… for the time being…" Heather replied. Naya giggled at Heather's perving.

"Just keep your eyes on the television, Morris," Naya said jokingly, taking Heather's chin in her hand and turning her head to the screen.

"Easier said than done…" Heather sighed, and Naya continued to laugh at her girlfriend.

"Hey! Just so you know you're not the only one suffering here! It's your decision not mine…" Naya lectured as she too turned back to the scene at hand which was of Lea and Cory's hilarious rendition of With You I'm Born Again. Heather glanced over to Naya and smiled to herself.

She really did hope her choice was the right one…


	21. Chapter 21

Title: I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint  
>Rating: M<br>Summary: She had become an expert at putting on a face when she was around Heather. Naya just hoped it was enough for people not to realize it, because honestly Heather was wearing her down.  
>Pairings: NayaHeather, Other: Heather/OC, Naya/Mark, Side Dianna/Lea  
>Disclaimer: I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.<br>Spoilers: Season 1 and Season 2  
>Word Count: ~7,100<br>Warning: Angst

A/N: The long awaited next chapter of Liar/Saint is finally here! I do very much apologize for the incredibly long wait… I feel bad for making you all wait since August for this. But I feel that this chapter makes up for a lot of loose ends from the last along with the entire story in its entity. It felt like such a strange circle writing this chapter and certainly stirred some old emotions.

However, while this may feel like the end of such a long journey a few more events are to occur before everything comes to a close. I want to thank every individual who has left a comment, review, message, or has been touched by this story. Without you I wouldn't be at this point as a writer today. What I thought was only going to be a few chapter rant of how I feel these two are meant for each other, turned out to be a multitude chapter long novel or so it feels. So thank you all for encouraging forward :)

I also owe this to sarake_leeg who was with me from the start and to fossil_10 who always keeps me motivated to continue and fills my words with much more meaning. Love you both.

Cheers to a New Year and to a new chapter!

I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint

Chapter 21

She thought she had a destination, but once she turned out of Naya's neighborhood, she realized it was not in the direction of home. Heather continued to drive down roads; some she recognized others she didn't. Her mind was jumping from thought to thought as she jumped from neighborhoods around L.A. She didn't know what her problem was… Heather was more than comfortable with her relationship with Naya and she was the happiest she's been in a long time. Sure things with Nate were great, but she's realized that before she wasn't truly happy… she wasn't being honest with herself. That relationship functioned like an old factory machine; there wasn't any other dimension or depth to it than the mechanical way they went through life together. She was settling for something she was simply comfortable with. She wished she had realized that sooner so the both of them didn't have to suffer all that time lost in a world of make-believe…

Being with Naya… It was like Heather was finally accepting what she has always wanted but was too terrified to admit. She was terrified of so many things; of the judgment of others… her friends, her family. This change, this leap of faith… it was something she's never truly encountered before. She was risking everything she's known in her life. But with Naya… she was so supportive and was always there for Heather every step of the way. Heather knew she would _always_ be there no matter what. She was everything.

She didn't want to ruin this. If she committed herself to this relationship and broke Naya's heart? She would never forgive herself if she hurt her.

_This isn't something you should be afraid of…_

Naya's loving voice echoed in her head from that Wednesday after the disaster that was the Britney/Brittany episode. After tracing similar pathways around L.A. County, Heather finally found herself pulling up in her driveway. When she killed the ignition she groaned loudly in frustration. She rested her chin against the top of the steering wheel, looking out blankly up at the dark sky above.

"I know…" she mumbled out to no one in particular. "I'm being such a coward."

Heather opened the car door grumpily and shuffled into her house, slamming the door shut behind her. She loved Naya. She knew that… but now that she thought back on it, she's never once vocalized it. Every time she had an opportunity, she found the words seemed near impossible to express. _How hard could it be? It's just three words right?_ Still, she would find some way to fuck everything up… she always did when she was trying to explain how she felt.

"Damn it… you're home early. Again," Ashley greeted Heather as she emphasized the latter part of the sentence.

"I drove around for more than an hour and I still have no clue where I'm going," Heather announced, not knowing at all what was going on in her own head.

"Okay…" Ashley said slowly. "Well, right now you're home. Did you drink too much at her place or somethin'?"

"Just a glass of wine…" Heather mumbled as she flopped on the couch, "Which was certainly not enough alcohol."

"You need to grow some balls dude."

"Why am I so freaked out about all of this?" Heather gestured with her hand nonchalantly. "Sex and saying I love you and this entire relationship… I'm pathetic. She wants it, I want it… what's the big deal?"

Ashley sighed before rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Because… like you told me. You care about her. You don't want to fuck it up with the wrong timing. I know this from experience," Ashley said jokingly, but Heather found none of this amusing. Ashley patted her roommate's knee, "Honestly, Heather… the reason why I think you're so scared about this relationship and diving into it, is because you're scared of committing."

Heather furrowed her brow.

"But I'm not scared of committing. I do want to be with her…"

"I never said you didn't want to be with her. But you do realize you just got _out_ of a very serious relationship…"

"I know, and I don't want to make those same mistakes I made with Nate. I don't want to be wrong about this and give everything to her and then back out like a fucking coward… I can't imagine hurting my best friend like that," Heather said sadly. Ashley scrunched her lips in thought as she observed her rather conflicted friend. She breathed in deeply as she told Heather her most honest advice.

"Heather, I think you're trying too hard with Naya…"

"What do you mean?" Heather asked sharply. "Would you rather me not try at all?"

"Don't get all defensive now. Just hear me out… You know she's so patient and you know she doesn't care how long it takes. She's just happy being with you," Ashley tried to explain. "She's not Nate, Heather… she's not going to pressure you into anything you don't want. And you two understand each other on a level that to me is kinda disgusting. That's a rare thing to find… someone who gets you without needing to pry for answers. Bottom line is, you don't need to prove anything to her if you're not ready. I know for a fact that she loves you. And you love her, right?"

"Yeah… I do, more than she could ever know," Heather said softly.

"Then that's all that matters. As long as she knows that," Ashley confirmed. When Heather's face still remained in that scrunched up expression, Ashley did a double take. "She does know, right?"

"I mean… I've never said it out loud or anything… Sure we throw around 'I love you' all the time, but it's never in that context you know? At least _I_ haven't said it in that context," Heather told Ashley, her mind befuddled. Ashley simply squinted her eyes at Heather while tapping her lips in thought. Suddenly, Heather's eyes widened in either fear or realization; she wasn't quite sure which.

"Oh God… what if she really doesn't know? She… She tells me practically every day and I-I can't even tell her at all? What kind of girlfriend does that?"

"Hemo, that doesn't make you a bad girlfriend…" Ashley tried to comfort Heather who was beginning to overthink everything.

"Saying nothing at all is _almost_ as bad as saying thank you," Heather retorted and Ashley had to nod in agreement.

"Heather… As brave as you're trying to be, it's okay to get scared sometimes. It's understandable. You're falling in love with your best friend here..."

"And she's a girl…" Heather muttered.

"Hey, what did I say?" Ashley pointed her finger at her sternly and Heather nodded in remembrance. "You can't choose love… you're just two people falling for each other. Who the fuck cares if you happen to be the same gender?"

Heather sighed, knowing well that Ashley was completely right.

"It's a big leap. But, like I said, Naya's different. She won't annoy you with commitment statuses and request answers, Heather. She's a chill girl. As long as you make her realize that you are invested in this relationship as much as she is, then she won't care."

"That's the thing. I've just… never felt this way before. About anyone… even Nate. I'm scared I'm going to ruin it all. And I want to tell her this. I want to tell her how much I care about her… How much I'm in love with her and how that love scares me, but… I just get lost. No matter what I say, it'll all just get jumbled up and she'll take it the wrong way. I'll probably just come off offensive… I feel like it'll never come close enough to how I really feel about her. Words can never do it justice," Heather rambled. Ashley nodded while a small, hopeful smile crept to her lips.

"I'm pretty sure she already knows all this, Heather."

Heather could only nod, hoping her roommate was right. But Ashley wasn't finished giving her last piece of advice for the night.

"But, if you can't tell her show her."

With that, Ashley patted Heather's knee and shuffled off to bed feeling that her damage control for the night was done. Heather smiled appreciatively toward her roommate. She would have definitely been way more lost in her maze like mind if Ashley hadn't been there holding her hand for support. She knew she couldn't sleep or distract herself with T.V. or anything… All this was weighing down on her chest and she was about to burst if she couldn't get it out to Naya. She needed to at least attempt to tell her what was on her mind.

_Communication, Nay. We really need to practice that_.She was a hypocrite of her own words. Heather shook her head and chuckled a little at how ridiculous she was being. Words were never her forte, but she needed Naya to know…

She got up from the couch abruptly and grabbed her stuff that she had tossed about her house when she was being her grumpy, confused self. Heather practically sprinted through the door and started her car in a hurry. With a slightly clearer mind, she had her sights set on expressing her emotions to her _girlfriend_ tonight. Whether it be with words or actions, her mission was set.

_If you can't tell her show her._

"Naya!" Heather called out on Naya's doorstep. She knocked again loudly and rang the doorbell a few more times for good measure.

She waited for her girlfriend to answer before she got cold feet or something. Heather didn't really have a plan. She was just winging it, like she did for practically everything else anyways. She waited… but still no answer. Heather furrowed her brow.

She knocked again.

As she waited another minute on the doormat she began to worry. She took out her phone and called both Naya's cell and house phone. No answer… Heather knew that Naya was a pretty heavy sleeper, but it was only 10:30 P.M. There was no possible way she could already be asleep and if so she would still answer her phone… she always left that thing on. Before going for the spare key underneath that plant pot Naya had told her about years ago, Heather tried the door. The handle twisted easily for her, which further made Heather worry nervously. She pushed the door open and let herself in.

"Naya?" she called out to the empty house.

Heather searched the kitchen and living room, which both seemed unchanged from when she had left earlier. She scrunched her eyebrows and clenched her jaw. She moved to Naya's room and opened the door.

"Nay—" Naya's name choked in her throat.

"Holy shit!"

Heather froze in the doorway, hand beginning to feel clammy on the handle. Her head started to feel uncomfortably light and hazy, while she felt tingly vibrations pool down between her legs from the sight in front of her. Naya, her Naya, was clad in absolutely nothing… the only thing now blocking Heather's view from seeing her perfectly nude body again was the maroon fluffy towel she was holding to cover herself. Naya was fresh from her shower. Her hair damp and in cute waves and ringlets from the moisture, skin flushed pink from the heat, and water droplets running sneaky pathways down shapely curves. Heather could smell the fumes from her shampoo and from the wonderful humid mist wafting around her. The overwhelmingly luscious scent of her was just contributing to Heather's dizziness. She gulped nervously. When she opened the door, she had seen just about everything… and when she said everything, she meant _everything._ And it was all absolutely beautiful… The only thought running through Heather's head was how she wished Naya would just drop that fucking towel so she could appreciate just _how_ beautiful her naked form was. But Naya's voice drew her out of her perving thoughts.

"Heather?" Naya inquired expectantly, ringlets bouncing and droplets dripping. Her hand was still clutched over her heart. "What are you doing here… in my room?"

"I… door… open," Heather couldn't really form sentences at the moment, but could you blame her? "Mediterranean food really doesn't do shit to you…"

Naya finally cracked a smile, her body relaxing and placing a hand on her hip. The small movement exposed more tan skin making Heather's eyes widened even more and shiver run down her spine.

"You scared the fucking shit out of me you know?"

Heather shook her head to try to snap out of her trance. When that didn't work, she squeezed her eyes shut. Naya simply shook her head and smiled at how adorable Heather looked standing in her doorway like that.

"Yeah… I-I know, sorry… didn't answer the door…" Heather mumbled.

"Hence, the shower?" Naya said with a raised eyebrow, "I feel like you have tendency on walking in on naked people often…"

"Nope, nope," Heather replied putting up her finger, eyes still closed of course, "Just with you."

Naya chuckled.

"I kinda need to change, Hemo."

"Oh! Fuck, right…" Heather exclaimed turning too quickly and ramming the right side of her forehead into the doorframe.

"Shit!" she threw a hand over her brow.

"God, you okay?" Naya asked worriedly stepping forward to help Heather, but the blonde put her hand up.

"No, no. I'm good… you don't move cause your towel is… is exposing way too much for me to handle right now… I'm just… uh… gonna go and uh... wait and… ice…" Heather mumbled miserably, cheeks and ears totally flushed crimson in embarrassment.

Heather closed the door behind her and headed towards the kitchen.

"Fucking smooth Casanova…"

Heather sat on the counter of Naya's kitchen with a bag of frozen peas pressed against her slightly swollen right brow. This was definitely not what she was expecting to happen when she drove back to Naya's house. She hoped her little intrusion and bump on her forehead was the last of her stupidity… she was sure it wasn't. Heather was still praying that she would be able to tell Naya how she felt and what was on her mind. That was the only thing that mattered to her.

Naya shuffled into the kitchen and Heather's eyes lifted to meet hers. A smile inevitably tugged at her lips and she had to refrain a giggle when she examined Naya's simply priceless nightwear. She was clad in one of those dorky footie jammies that were patterned with spaceships and solar systems. Heather didn't even know that Naya owned a pair of these… Her raven hair was pulled into a tangled bun and she was wearing her glasses. The thing that made Heather's heart flutter the most was that there wasn't one fleck of makeup on that absolutely flawless face. Naya quirked an eyebrow as her eyes met glossy blues. Heather smiled her lopsided grin and blushed shyly, staring down at her toes. While Heather thought she looked perfectly ready to snuggle into bed, she also couldn't stop thinking about the fastest way to take those footies off…

"Cute jammies," Heather finally found her mind speaking aloud on its own accord. Naya simply chuckled, but Heather spotted that light tint of pink coloring her cheeks.

"Well? What did you expect? A see-through nightdress and lacy underwear?" Naya husked teasingly, causing another shiver to run down Heather's spine.

"You're absolutely killing me here…"

Naya laughed out again and Heather smiled. She continued to shuffle over to Heather, still perched on the counter.

"Didn't you hear? Onesies are making a comeback," Heather raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "I got it from, Kevin," Naya finally admitted and Heather nodded her head knowingly before tapping Naya's nose.

"They look comfy," Heather commented sweetly.

"Yah, I was planning on snuggling up with a book in this fabulous cuddle weather since my number one cuddle buddy decided to take a rain check."

Heather simply rolled her eyes and chuckled as Naya settled between Heather's legs, resting her soft palms on her thighs. She peered up at her.

"How's the head injury?" she inquired, lifting the bag of peas from her brow to examine the slightly bruised area. It wasn't all too bad, just a little bump. It wasn't anything a little makeup couldn't cover tomorrow morning.

"Just dandy."

"Hm… well, serves you right for breaking into my house and making tonight a peepshow," Naya said folding her arms across her chest.

"Whoa there. Totally not my fault. I was freaking out you know? Your door was completely unlocked! You need to start being more careful or… or creepy, weird-ass people will come in here and molest you or something," Naya raised an eyebrow, trying her hardest to remain serious for Heather.

"You're practically asking for trouble. I will have none of that. You were lucky it was just me…" Heather told her protectively. Naya couldn't help but smile at how cute it was. However, she was still puzzled on how Heather managed her way in.

"That's really weird… because I swear I locked the door right after you left. I always do."

Heather pouted.

"Well obviously you have issues with locks because I am always finding ways in…" Heather concluded. Naya just continued to smile at her. It was true… no matter how hard Naya tried to lock Heather out, she always managed to find some pathway back into her heart. It's always been like that for as long as they've known each other. Naya wasn't surprised at all…

"Maybe that's a good thing," Naya whispered as she leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Heather's scrunched up lips.

"How is that a good thing? If I'm getting in, that means anyone can get in because I'm gonna admit straight out… I'm no Einstein."

Naya rolled her eyes and shook her head at Heather; she wasn't even going to try to explain what she meant, she was sure she would sound crazy. Her hands started to follow invisible trails up Heather's toned thighs until Naya felt her fingertips reach her waistband.

"While I am happy you came back, what do I owe this pleasure?" Naya finally asked.

Heather picked at her fingernails in thought. _God damn it… remember the plan for your own sake please?_ Heather's mind pleaded with her. Her eyes traced over the curves of Naya's soft features, which caused a smile to be brought to her lips. Everything about her… there was always so much to say. The way she saw Naya… she felt so lucky being with someone so wonderful. She knew she would never get it perfect.

She took in a deep breath and shook her head at herself. Heather dipped down and placed another loving kiss to Naya's lips. Not like Naya was complaining, but she hadn't a clue where this was all coming from.

"I just… I felt like I was forgetting something," Heather murmured against her lips. "But I'm pretty sure I found it."

Naya raised her brow, but chose to remain silent and instead opt for another soft kiss of Heather's wonderfully peachy lips. Heather took Naya's hands and interlaced their fingers together.

"I… I feel like I have so much to tell you. Tonight made me think a lot," Heather started quietly and Naya nodded supportively.

"Naya I…" Heather looked into Naya's eyes and her mind went blank again. She breathed out through her nostrils in frustration as she continued to toy with Naya's fingers. "I have so much to say, but I don't know where to start without sounding like some mushy sap that came out of a romantic comedy flick…"

Naya smiled knowingly, "It's okay, Heather. Take it slow, remember?"

"I know, but… Naya I've never felt this way about anyone before. And you deserve better than this."

"As opposed to what?" Naya practically chuckled. "Heather we went over this… and I'm not sure how else I can tell you how happy I am being with you—"

Heather put up her hand to stop her and tossed her frozen pea bag to the side to concentrate.

"No, no… I… I know that and I'm so, so happy too. I need you to know that I care about you so much. It's just that, sometimes I feel like I'm trying so hard to make this perfect, when it already practically is. But then I keep on overthinking things or, or I freeze up when we want to tell people and chicken out when you do that amazing thing with your fingers," Naya noted the heated blush on Heather's cheeks at the reference.

"It's not till after all that when I realize the only thing that matters is how much I'm in…" Heather had ranted out wildly, expressing her bottled up thoughts with her hands. But suddenly her voice quieted and all she could see was shiny chocolate eyes.

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out; her words yet again caught in her throat. She grunted angrily, never more frustrated with her torn mind in her entire life. This time Naya raised her hand and placed her index finger against Heather's lips to get her to calm down. The soft touch quieted Heather. A shy, supportive smile spread on Naya's pouty lips.

"I know, Heather," she said simply in a quiet whisper.

Heather let go of a pained sigh, but still let slip at relieved smile. She was still mentally kicking herself. She was being so ridiculous and so immature, she knew. She truly wished she _were_ braver for Naya's sake. Somehow, Naya seemed to read her mind as she squeezed her hands in reassurance. With Naya holding her hands gently and nose nuzzling at her cheeks and neck, Heather felt like everything was going to be okay in time… she couldn't believe how lucky she was. If it were anyone else, they would rid of her in a heartbeat with her commitment issues.

"I guess I'm not used to this…" Heather whispered against Naya's cheeks.

"What do you mean?" she whispered back into her neck.

"Being in a relationship with someone who just… knows."

Naya leaned back and looked up into Heather's sparkly blue eyes. Naya smiled. Her cheeks displayed those cute little dimples and Heather couldn't help, but lean back down and drop small mouse kisses on both. Their foreheads rested against each other and they simply enjoyed warm breath mixing together and the quietness that surrounded them. All those unsaid words were left unspoken. Naya understood, and rather hoped, that Heather would eventually tell her all these things like she's promised all in time… This situation wasn't a typical one and she knew that realizing all these things within such a short timeframe was frightening. After all, Naya has had years to wallow in her feelings for Heather. Heather was just discovering all of them for the first time…

Heather lifted Naya's chin up slowly and caught her lips with her own. Slow and reassuring. Like Naya said, Heather didn't need words to speak to her. She knew how much Heather loved her as she felt her heart start to thud faster against her chest. No more guessing, no more lying… Naya felt like Heather was lifting her up to heights she never knew she could reach on her own.

Fingers played with each other comfortably, until Heather unclasped them in order to place her hands on Naya's hips to draw her in impossibly closer. Naya paused hesitantly, breaking contact with the wonderful soft plush of Heather's lips in order to look deeply into her eyes. She furrowed her brows, but Heather just continued to look at her. Her eyes were shining brightly, but darkened intensely all at the same time… it was confusing Naya and she was scared what move to make next. It made her heart do little flutters in her chest, her tummy to somersault nervously, and her thighs to clench together. Naya was having the hardest time containing everything Heather was doing to her… it was rather embarrassing how much this girl made Naya weak in the knees every time. Heather could read her uncertainty like a book.

The tall blonde smiled widely and dipped back down to Naya's lips, taking them up passionately. It left Naya breathless. Heather's greedy hands encircled Naya's waist pulling her up till she stood on her tip toes, while Naya threw her hands up into golden locks. Lips did the rest of the talking as tongues glided and teeth nipped. Heather's hands wandered but were left frustrated when they could only grab at the soft, plushy material of Naya's damn onesie. Naya felt Heather's hands trail up her abdomen to the thin zipper that went from her neckline to just below her bellybutton. Desperate for any kind of skin contact, Heather took Naya's collar and pulled on both sides roughly, practically peeling the zipper apart. Naya caught Heather's wrists stopping her and the zipper's path as well. Breaking contact momentarily, Naya's dazed eyes looked deeply into Heather's equally darkened ones. She had to stop this before it went somewhere Heather may regret later… they had promised each other they wanted to go slow.

"H-Heather… you don't need to prove anything to me," Naya said with uncertainty. "I don't want to pressure you into anything you don't want."

Heather smiled at Naya's thoughtfulness, slipping down from the countertop. She cupped Naya's cheek gently and told her reassuringly:

"You're _not_ pressuring me into anything. I want this, Naya… and I trust you."

Naya smiled back and pushed Heather gently back against the counter, kissing her slowly. Heather's warm, long fingers toyed at where the zipper had stopped. She teasingly touched the sensitive skin right below the dip of Naya's breasts, while her lips started to descend lower down her neck. Everything was a mixture of sweet honey and maple syrup with exotic raspberry and warm coffee beans… it was intoxicating. Heather laid her right hand flat against Naya's soft, smooth skin and began to slowly trail upwards. She could feel Naya's heart beat strongly against her palm; Heather unconsciously smiled at the feeling. Naya felt like where ever Heather touched that a burning handprint was left behind. Her chest began to heave heavily with shallower breaths. Maybe it was the heady scent of raspberries and coffee that was so Naya that wafted over her, but Heather had an intense need to taste her. She boldly let her tongue lick the curve of Naya's neck back up to her jaw.

"Fuck…" Naya let slip and she felt her legs almost buckle beneath her, but luckily Heather caught her while capturing her lips once more.

"Heather… bed…" Naya managed to say between kisses.

Without a bit of effort Heather gripped Naya's thighs and lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around her waist. As quickly as she possibly could, Heather kicked Naya's bedroom door open and sat her down on the mattress. She was pretty impressed with herself how she got them both there without any injury. _Must be the adrenaline… _she quickly thought while Naya untied her bun letting her raven hair fall in cascades down her shoulders. Heather gulped at the sight of her… Hair in tousled curls, lips swollen, cheeks flushed, and the swell of her breasts peeking out more and more from those pajamas. _Or it could have been from being so fucking turned on_… Heather took back her first thought as she walked over to Naya and slowly slipped off her glasses and placed them on the nearby nightstand.

Heather straddled Naya's waist causing her to lie back against the bed. She slowly leaned back down, golden hair curtaining them, as she kissed Naya's lips gently. Naya smiled up at her, letting a little chuckle slip as her fingers danced at the hem of Heather's sweatshirt to lift it over her head. She tugged harshly causing Heather to giggle at her adamancy as she tossed the garment somewhere in the room. Naya let her hands roam around Heather's wonderfully sculpted arms and abs, relishing the feel of that creamy, buttery soft skin. Lips were everywhere and curious fingers continued to venture over dips and curves of each other's bodies. Not being able to take it any longer, Heather completely unzipped Naya's footie pajama and pulled her out of the top part of it.

"You just had to choose to seduce me when I wear these fucking pajamas didn't you?" Naya husked into Heather's ear with half need and half frustration with the nightwear she ended up choosing.

"Oh how I love when you talk dirty to me," Heather joked before leaning back down and placing soft kisses along Naya's jawline. She moaned loudly, eyes fluttering closed.

Before she could remove her nerdy astro-pajamas completely, Heather got caught by the sight of Naya's half naked form. Even in the darkness of Naya's bedroom, Heather could still spot the deep red blush on tanned cheeks. She kissed both of the enflamed cheeks reassuringly. Her lips traveled down Naya's delicious skin… she stopped momentarily to kiss that cute little freckle on Naya's right shoulder before continuing down her chest. Naya arched into every kiss, her body responding on its own accord. One hand flailed above her head while the other entangled back into Heather's very tousled hair. Heather's palms ran over Naya's ribcage like going over the rungs of a ladder before gently cupping both her breasts.

"Uh… H-Heather…" Naya let out desperately, her body not able to handle all this.

Fingertips ghosted over small, pebbled nipples, sending chills up and down Naya's spine. Naya bit on her lower lip, restraining herself from yelling out a list of rather embarrassing profanities. Heather softly placed another kiss between Naya's breasts before her lips hovered over Naya's right nipple. She could feel the slightest pressure at the base of her neck as Naya encouraged her forward. This is where Heather felt a slight fleeting feeling of nerves bubble in her stomach… she really had no idea what she was doing at this point. It was beyond her what other women liked. But going how Naya looked right then, she figured she was doing a pretty fucking good job so far, so she simply continued to go with her instincts.

She let the tip of her tongue gently flick out against Naya's dusky nipple and received an immediate response that included an incredibly hot throaty moan and uncontrolled hips crashing into hers. Naya's chest rose and fell with deep breaths and her eyes had fluttered closed. She was pretty sure her underwear was fairly damp now if it hadn't been before.

"Again please…" she pleaded and Heather complied, letting the flat of her tongue swirl around the hardened nipple.

Heather continued to suck and nibble softly at Naya's breast, responding to how she moaned and whimpered out her name. Naya reached behind Heather, her needy fingers quickly unclasping her bra. The item slinking down Heather's arms didn't seem to faze her, but it certainly caught Naya's attention. Naya cupped Heather's cheek and brought her back up to kiss her lips again. Heather kissed her softly and oh so tenderly, causing Naya to sigh into her lips. Heather smiled as she continued to kiss Naya sweetly.

Kissing the tip of her nose, Heather's hands wandered back down and tugged gently at Naya's onesie; wanting to rid of the damn pajama that was constantly in the way. Heather kissed right below Naya's navel before tossing the dorky pajamas and her bra over the bed causing Naya to laugh lightly. Heather unabashedly crawled back up Naya's body, completely comfortable with being half naked in front of her. Naya wouldn't be surprised if she was drooling because what she was seeing right then… She had only envisioned stuff like this in her most desired and very private fantasies. Heather smiled coyly, completely aware of the effect she was having on Naya as she kissed those perfect, heavenly soft lips.

"You look super cute when you're all turned on…" Heather murmured with a slight giggle in her voice and Naya let out a breathy sigh.

Before she knew it, Heather was spun on her back and then pushed into the mattress, Naya's bare thighs straddling her midsection. Heather smiled softly and let her hands lightly skim up those tanned, toned thighs before settling to rest at her waist. Naya began to drop kisses down Heather's body, starting at her lips. She cupped her breasts, marveling the feeling of the supple flesh as her fingers skimmed over them. Heather tried her best to stop squirming under Naya's touches, but what she was doing was undeniably wonderful. Pleasure continued to course down through her body, her hips canting up with need. Naya could sense what Heather wanted as she descended lower.

As she placed her fingers over the button of her jeans, Naya looked up at Heather for permission. Heather swallowed thickly before giving a small nod. Naya slid Heather's skinny jeans off and threw them somewhere in her room along with the rest of their discarded clothing. She settled between Heather's thighs, eye contact never breaking. The blonde's breathing was shallow. Every breath she took was filled with nervousness as Naya's mouth hovered extremely close to where she needed to be touched most.

To test the waters, Naya placed soft kisses on the inside of Heather's thighs. She continued up, the rise and fall of Heather's chest quickening the higher she went. Naya's eyes darted quickly back up to find that Heather's arm was thrown over her eyes and her mouth hung open. Naya dropped the softest, most chaste kiss to Heather's clothed sex. She could already feel the dampness that had seeped through her girlfriend's underwear and how Heather shuddered in pleasure and relief. She hesitantly shifted Heather's lacy underwear to the side with her index finger. Naya clenched her jaw nervously… she felt so drunk off of Heather. Everything felt like it was happening in a wonderful haze of honey and syrup. Not able to contain herself any longer, Naya made the first touch with her lips, kissing Heather's entrance ever so gently.

"Oh…" Heather sighed in a pitch that was noticeably higher.

Naya licked her lips and moaned throatily… she needed more and so did Heather. Naya looped her fingers in the waistband of Heather's underwear and slipped them slowly down long, pale legs. She let her eyes run over butter soft skin freely, admiring every curve and dip of Heather's body. A body like hers seriously meant to be seen like this… so natural and beautiful. Naya sank back down comfortably between the warmth of Heather's thighs. Naya boldly let her tongue run along her folds, trying to taste her as much as she could. Heather thought she was pretty good at restraining her moans and groans whenever she had sex, but with Naya it was like she had no control whatsoever. She was thankful Naya had no roommates to taunt her after… Naya's name left from her lips over and over, ranging from soft whispers to loud cries of need. She did her best not to buck her hips wildly into those magically soft lips.

She worked her over, somehow knowing every which way to kiss there, to lick here, or to flick lower or higher… It was as if Naya knew exactly what she wanted, or maybe she was just really amazing at going down on girls. _I'll have to ask her that one after this…_ Heather's mind wandered slightly. The thought of other girls quickly vanished from her mind when Naya did that thing with the tip of her tongue again against her clit, making her shiver.

"G-God…" she moaned loudly as Naya continued to make out with her entrance. Heather was sure she could reach her orgasm with Naya's wicked tongue… which would be rather pathetic since they haven't been at this for that long.

"Nay… Naya… Come here, I want you up here," Heather managed out between moans, her eyes still squeezed shut behind her slung over arm.

Naya crawled up over her and smiled softly. She lifted Heather's arm away from her face.

"Open your eyes I want to see them," Naya whispered as she kissed Heather's temple.

Her eyes fluttered opened and she looked up at Naya and those lips that adorned a cheeky grin. Heather leaned up and closed the gap between them. Her hand wandered down to the noticeably damp spot on Naya's underwear wanting to return the favor, but she grabbed her wrist.

"Nuh-uh…"

When she pulled her arm from between their bodies, Naya interlaced their fingers. Heather's brow knitted together in confusion.

"It's okay," she murmured as she kissed at Heather's pulse point.

"But—" Heather tried to contradict, but her lips got caught up in luscious puffy ones again.

"Trust me…" she said.

And Heather trusted her.

She let her body simply feel. All her senses seemed to be heightened and just surrounded with Naya. She felt like she drunk on her, but there was no way to completely soak all of her up. She arched up and noted how Naya's curved perfectly with the shape of her body. She noted how they held each other so tenderly and how they're legs tangled in the most beautiful mess she's ever experienced. Most of all she noted how it felt like being treated like you were the only thing that mattered. She had never been placed first like this in any relationship before. She could only hope that Naya knew all this.

When Naya's gentle fingers touched her between her thighs, Heather was pretty sure her legs went numb and her heart skipped a beat. Maybe it skipped because of the large gasp she took involuntarily.

"Tell me if you want me to stop," Naya found herself saying, suddenly worried.

Heather shook her head erratically from side to side, her free hand squeezing Naya's left arm to encourage her forward.

"D-Don't stop… don't make me finish this myself…" she stuttered.

Naya only smiled, returning her lips back to kissing every patch of skin she could. Slowly, she slid her index finger halfway into Heather who buried her face into Naya's neck. She began a rhythm… it was slow at first, like how they've been starting everything else, but after Heather began leaving scratch marks up and down her arm Naya began to pick up the pace. Heather felt like her head was about to explode… this was better than she ever thought possible. But she shouldn't have been surprised since Naya seems to make her feel the impossible.

"Fuck, Nay… more… please…" she couldn't believe she was begging so helplessly.

Naya slipped another finger in. They moved together in perfect synchronization as Naya helped Heather climb higher and higher. She was close… Naya seemed to know too as she continued to hit _that_ spot every single time.

"Naya! I… Oh God…" Heather gasped out, on the edge of teetering over.

Naya clutched her hand tighter.

"I've got you."

Naya thrusted her fingers into her till Heather finally found her release. Her body arched and went rigid for a few seconds… the only thing that escaped from her lips was Naya's whispered name. Naya didn't even really have enough time to soak in what had just happened… what she had just made Heather feel. She was pulled aggressively by the neck to Heather's lips as they crashed together. She was pretty sure the wind got knocked out of her on that one. Naya could feel Heather smiling against her lips. They finally let their hands unclasp from the tight grip they had held on each other so Heather could let her fingers tangle up in Naya's already very tangled sex hair.

"Wow…" she breathed dreamily against her lips.

"Yeah… wow…" Naya repeated as settled on her side next to Heather who snuggled into her close.

Her eyes were closed as her heart began to slow down from all the adrenaline pumping through her entire body. Naya tucked the stray strands of blonde locks away from her face so she could breathe properly. She could tell that Heather was trying her best to keep her eyes open and felt her hand once again try to travel down below her waist. But she of course stopped her once more and intertwined their fingers, knowing how Heather was about to slumber away any second.

Those crystal blue, feline eyes peeked up at Naya through heavy lids.

"Naya…" she whispered out pleadingly.

"It's okay… later," was all she said and placed a soft kiss to her forehead. Heather smiled her lopsided smile appreciatively.

"Mhm… you better count on it… you're in for a long… long night," Heather mumbled practically incoherently. Naya simply chuckled.

"Looking forward to it."

Heather listened to the lull of Naya's heart, counting the beats in her head. It made her grin wider feeling so safe and so... at home. Naya attempted to pull up as much of the bed comforter as she could over the two of them without having to roll Heather over. When settled back down, she felt Heather place another kiss on that freckle she had on her right shoulder.

"Love you…" Heather mumbled almost inaudibly into her skin before her breath evened out and she was asleep.

Naya stopped… her whole body stopped as she stared wide-eyed at this girl in her arms. This girl that she's wanted for ages now uttered those words to her and really _meant _it. She laid her head gently against her pillow to make it stop spinning. It's everything she's ever wanted… her own fairytale story come true. She couldn't count how many times she spent crying and yearning over Heather. All that pretending… she would never have to relive that ever again. Now, everything just felt so simple. Everything was perfect and she couldn't be happier. Who needed a lifetime to know you were in love with someone? It's pointless wasting a lifetime to figure it out when you can be spending a lifetime _being_ in love with that person. And for better or for worse, no matter where this relationship led to, Naya knew that she would always have Heather in her life… Always. She had to bite at her lower lip which was curled in a wide smile; the corners of her lips quivering.

"I love you too."


End file.
